SUMMARY Both secretin, and the single substance which possesses both cholecystokinin and pancreozymin activity, have been shown to inhibit gastric acid secretory responses. Since potentiation may occur between pairs of stimulants of gastric secretion, the effects of combining secretin and cholecystokiniu/pancreozymin have been studied in Heidenhain pouches stimulated by continuous intravenous pentagastrin. Evidence suggesting potentiation between these two inhibitor agents is presented.Inhibition of gastric acid secretion is caused when the mucosa of the upper small intestine is bathed either by fat (Feng, Hou, and Lim, 1929), acid (Sokolov, 1904) or hyperosmolar solutions (Konturek and Grossman, 1965). The studies of Andersson (1960) suggest that the inhibition caused by acid in the duodenum is mediated by a humoral agent. There is therefore interest in the possible inhibitor properties on gastric acid secretion of extracts prepared from duodenal mucosa (Jorpes, 1968). Under certain experimental conditions in dogs, relatively pure secretin (Gillespie and Grossman, 1964a;Wormsley and Grossman, 1964) and relatively pure cholecystokinin/pancreozymin Grossman, 1964, Bedi, Govaerts, Master, andGillespie, 1967) have been demonstrated to inhibit Heidenhain pouch acid responses to stimulation by gastrin and it has been suggested that these agents may in fact be the principal mediators of the inhibition.There is evidence of potentiation at the level of the acid-producing cells between pairs of stimulants, eg, gastrin extract and stable choline ester (Gillespie and Grossman, 1964b), and gastrin and histamine (Passaro, Gillespie, and Grossman, 1964). Bedi, Debas, Gillespie, and Gillespie (1971) have also shown potentiation between bile salts and acetylcholine in the release of gastrin from the pyloric antrum. It is possible that potentiation may also exist between various inhibitors of gastric acid secretion. The present experiments were therefore designed to explore the possibility that both secretin and cholecystokinin/pancreozymin acting together may result in facilitated or potentiated inhibition.Received for publication 17 September 1971.
Materials and MethodsThe observations were made on three dogs with Heidenhain type fundic pouches, the gastrointestinal tract otherwise being intact. The dogs' weights were between 15 and 20 kg and all operative procedures had been completed more than three months before the present experiments.Acid secretion from the Heidenhain pouch was stimulated by a continuous constant-rate intravenous infusion of pentagastrin at a dose which gave the maximal acid response from the Heidenhain pouch. During each experiment the secretion from the Heidenhain pouch was collected continuously, and every 15 minutes the volume was measured in millilitres and the acid concentration estimated by titration against 0 01N sodium hydroxide with phenol red indicator, end-point 6.8 to 8.4. Acid outputs were derived from multiplication of the volume and concentration values. A plateau of acid secretion from...