The effect of sympathetic nerve stimulation on serum gastrin, gastric acid secretion and mucosal blood flow responses to meat extract stimulation in anaesthetized cats.

Chloralose anaesthetized cats were prepared with fundic and antral pouches. Fundic mucosal blood flow was measured by the amidopyrine technique and serum gastrin was measured by radioimmunoassay. 2. Meat extract suspension in the pyloric antrum produced a highly significant sixfold increase in arterial serum gastrin concentration (P less than 0-001). 3. The mean ratio of the fundic mucosal blood flow to acid secretory responses (deltaMBF/deltaH+ ratio) of 0-142 +/- 0-026 (25) ml./muequiv H+, is very similar to the values previously published for exogenous gastrin stimulation. 4. Splanchnic nerve stimulation, during responses to meat extract stimulation, produced significant reductions in gastric acid secretion (P less than 0-025), fundic mucosal blood flow (P less than 0-02), Arterial serum gastrin concentration (P less than 0-01) And gastrin delivered to the mucosa (P less than 0-001). 5. In the 30 min period following the end of splanchnic nerve stimulation only arterial serum gastrin concentration remained significantly reduced.