Gastric Acid Response to Sham Feeding in the Duodenal Ulcer Patient

Abstract

Knutson, U. & Olbe, L. Gastric acid response to sham feeding in the duodenal ulcer patient. Scand. J. Gastroent. 1973, 8, 513-522.

A sham feeding technique has been evolved in patients operated upon for peptic ulcer in order to study the gastric acid secretory response to physiological vagal activation. The technique allows the patients to eat and swallow an ordinary meal, which is prevented from reaching the stomach by means of a rubber tube, temporarily inserted into the distal part of the esophagus via a gastrostomy. An analysis of the new sham feeding method suggests that it truly reflects the acid response to physiological vagal activation, and that the acid secretory response is reproducible. 15 min sham feeding seems to produce a near maximal sham feeding acid response. In 18 duodenal ulcer patients with intact antrum 15 min sham feeding produced an increased gastric acid secretion, usually lasting for more than 2 hours, with a mean peak response amounting to 11.7 mEq/30 min (55 per cent of the mean peak acid response to pentagastrin or Histalog). No correlation was found between the peak acid sham feeding responses and the peak acid responses to pentagastrin or Histalog.

Key-words::

• Cephalic phase of gastric acid secretion
• duodenal ulcer
• gastric acid secretion
• gastrin
• stomach
• vagus nerve