The role of the antrum in determining the acid secretory response to meals to different consistency.

Abstract

SUMMARY Three dogs with denervated pouches of stomach were tested with two test meals, one of homogenized and the other of minced meat, before and after antral denervation. The results show that the preparation of food plays an important part in the acid response and that homogenization augments acid stimulatory potential, probably by virtue of increased buffer capacity. Krzyshovski, in 1906 (quoted by Babkin, 1950, reported that meat fed to dogs in fine particulate form stimulated a weaker secretory response by the stomach than the same amount of meat given as large lumps. Since that time, patients with peptic ulcers have been prescribed, on the advice of Sippy, soft, bland diets in the belief that this consistency of food will stimulate less acid secretion from the stomach than food of normal consistency (Sippy, 1915). More recent evidence (Buchman, Kaung, Dolan, and Knapp, 1969; Doll, Friedlander, and Piggott, 1956) has disputed the value of such diets in ulcer patients and it appeared reasonable to re-examine the influence of the consistency of a meal on antral function.The present study was designed to assess the secretory response to meat in homogenized and minced forms given to dogs with denervated pouches. To determine the importance of antral innervation in the responses to these two feeds, tests were repeated after antral denervation. MethodsThree dogs with Heidenhain pouches were prepared and, after a recovery period of three weeks, meal tests were carried out. Each dog was tested on five separate occasions with each of the two meals. When control studies were complete antral denervation was performed in situ, as previously described, by a technique of combined neurovascular clearance and circumferential myotomy (Hunt, 1972 All the meat for the two test meals was prepared at the outset of the study. Frozen ox hearts were thawed, defatted, then minced to approximately 0.5 cm pieces. Half of this minced meat was then refrozen in 400 g containers for use as the minced ox heart meal. The remainder was homogenized after the addition of 20%. by weight of water, the water being required to produce a meal of comparable viscosity. This preparation was similarly stored for use as the homogenized ox heart meal. Test meals were given on a body weight basis after overnight thawing. For minced meat, 15 g/kg was given whilst for homogenized meat 18 g/kg was used. The difference in these two values provided correction for the added water in the latter and presented meals of equal protein content.The acid output from the pouch was measured every 15 minutes for four hours after feeding. The results were analysed on a group basis by comparing the means of the logarithms of the four-hour output of acid ( x 100) for each meal at each stage by an analysis of variance.The physico-chemical characteristics of these feeds were assessed in two studies. In the first of these, the buffering capacity of equal portions, by weight of protein, was compared. Secondly, the effect of homogenization on the free amino acid content was mea...