Plasma Gastrin Levels and Gastric Acid Secretion in Dogs during Administration of Urecholine

Abstract

Sjödin, L. & Nilsson. G. Plasma gastrin levels and gastric acid secretion in dogs during administration of Urecholine. Scand. J. Gastroent. 1974, 9, 747–750.

Cholinergic stimulation of gastric acid secretion may be induced by various means, such as sham feeding or hypoglycaemic agents. Such cholinergic activation of acid secretion is thought to be due to both direct excitation of the parietal cells and release of antral gastrin. In the present study, the effects of a stable choline-ester (Urecholine®) on gastric acid secretion and plasma gastrin levels were investigated. Each of 4 dogs was provided with a vagally denervated fundic pouch and a draining cannula in the main stomach. A continuous intravenous infusion of 50 μg per kg-hr of Urecholine did not influence plasma gastrin concentration as determined by radioimmunoassay. Administration of 100 μg per kg-hr clearly raised the plasma gastrin level in only 3 out of 10 experiments. However, in all experiments, Urecholine did cause marked acid secretion from the gastric pouches. The results indicate that gastrin cells are less susceptible to stimulation by Urecholine than parietal cells. The substantial acid responses obtained under these conditions may mean that when the HC1 glands are directly excited by Urecholine, basal levels of gastrin are sufficient to induce acid secretion. It is also possible that Urecholine releases substances other than gastrin which have the ability to excite the HCl-glands.

Key-words::

• Acetylcholine
• betanechol
• gastric juice
• gastrin
• stomach
• Urecholine