Effect of Medical Vagotomy on Acid and Pepsin Responses to Histamine and Pentagastrin in Man

Abstract

Acid and pepsin secretion in response to graded doses of pentagastrin (ICI 50123) and histamine was studied before and after medical vagotomy in six duodenal ulcer patients.

Before medical vagotomy the mean maximal pepsin response to pentagastrin was reached at a dose causing a submaximal rate of acid secretion, whereas maximal responses of acid and pepsin to histamine occurred at the same doses.

Vagotomy reduced acid and pepsin responses to pentagastrin and histamine at all dose levels and shifted the dose response curve to the right.

Index-words:

• Stomach
• gastric juice
• anticholinergic drugs
• histamine
• gastrin
• pepsin
• gastric acidity determination