Serum-Gastrinspiegel und Magensäuresekretion im Säuglingsalter^*

Abstract

Gastric acid secretion was measured in 20 infants aged 6-438 days. The values for the basal acid output and that after stimulation with 6 mug/kg pentagastrin subcutaneously were found to be related to age, body weight and body surface area. But these correlations were not comparable to those in adults. Standard values for different age groups in childhood must therefore be established. Furthermore, the results indicate parietal-cell immaturity during the first six months of life. Measurement of fasting serum-gastrin concentration by radioimmunoassay in 74 infants, aged 1-438 days, and 154 adults as controls revealed a high serum-gastrin level in infants, with an exponential decrease during the first year of life. Despite comparable pH values in gastric juice at one year of life, the gastrin concentrations were higher than those in adults (at a statistically significant level). On the other hand, normal serum-gastrin concentrations were found in ten pregnant women just before delivery. The results suggest a negative feed-back mechanism between gastric-acid secretion and fasting serum-gastrin levels, but such mechanism probably being limited by extragastric gastrin secretion.

The Influence of Gastrin on Plasma Calcium, Bile and Gastric Calcium Secretions in the Rat

“…Thus, the present results and those of Kaplan et al (1 8) would suggest that the calcium loss in the gastric secretions may, in part, be responsible for the hypocalcemic response to gastrin. In addition, this confirmed the fact that gastrininduced hypocalcemia was not via calcitonin, since calcitonin has been reported to reduce gastric secretion (6,18). The increase in total calcium in the gastric juice may be the result of the direct action of gastrin on calcium transport mechanisms of the gastric mucosa per se or the purely physical properties of an increase in calcium solubility in a more acidic medium.…”

Adenylate Cyclase in Gastric Mucosal Biopsies from Patients with Achlorhydria

“…Serum levels of gastrin were estimated in the achlorhydric patients by radioimmunoassay as de scribed in detail by Becker et al [1976).…”