Improved experimental model for complete gastric vagotomy in the rat.

Transection vagotomy, dividing both vagal trunks and the esophagus just below the diaphragmatic hiatus, is a simple and rapid procedure for vagal denervation of the rat stomach. This form of vagotomy is significantly (P less than 0.01) more effective than the traditional truncal vagotomy in depressing the basal acid output (10.9 mumol +/- 1.4 vs 17.4 mumol +/- 1.8, mean +/- SEM, N = 10). It is also more effective (P less than 0.01) than truncal vagotomy in preventing reserpine-stimulated gastric acid secretion (9.9 mumol +/- 0.9 vs 20 mumol +/- 1.5, mean +/- SEM, N = 10). Furthermore, this vagotomy is more powerful (P less than 0.01) than truncal vagotomy in combating insulin-stimulated gastric acid secretion (10.5 mumol +/- 1.1 and 21 mumol +/- 1.6, respectively vs 169 mumol +/- 3.8, mean +/- SEM, N = 10). It is, therefore, concluded that the vagal denervation of the rat stomach achieved by transection vagotomy is more complete than that afforded by truncal vagotomy.