Effect of Insulin Injection on Serum Gastrin Concentrations in Duodenal Ulcer Patients and Normal Subjects

Abstract

Stadil, F. & Rehfeld. J. F. Effect of insulin injection on serum gastrin concentrations in duodenal ulcer patients and normal subjects. Scand. J. Gastroent. 1974, 9, 143-147.

In 22 normal subjects injection of 0.20 IU/kg of insulin i.v. caused an increase in serum concentrations of gastrin from 26.7 ± 1.6 to 34.6 ± 3.9 pmol/litre (mean ± S.E.M.) when studied during gastric aspiration. The increase lasted for one hour. In 65 patients with duodenal ulcer, studied similarly. gastrin concentrations increased from 30.1 ± 1.8 to 44.9 ± 3.0. The increase lasted for more than 1½ hours. The response was significantly higher in the ulcer patients (p = 0.04). Basal levels did not differ significantly. In normal subjects only slight differences were found in basal gastrin concentrations whether the gastric juice was aspirated or not. Gastrin output after insulin was increased by aspiration, confirming the inhibitory action of low intragastric pH on the antral mucosa. Without aspiration gastrin concentrations also increased after insulin; the duration of the rise was not shortened. The finding shows that an intragastric pH of 1.0 to 1.5 does not abolish the gastrin response to insulin.

Key-words::

• Duodenal ulcer
• gastric aspiration
• gastrin
• insulin test
• normal subjects