Gastric acid secretion and parietal cell mass: effects of thyroidectomy and thyroxine.

The role of thyroid hormones on parietal cell function and number was studied in the rat. Chronic administration of thyroxine (6-8 micrograms/100 g body wt/day) for 35 days significantly increased parietal cell mass (from 21.18 +/- 0.13 x 10(6) to 26.71 +/- 0.14 x 10(6] as well as basal acid secretion (from 3.69 +/- 0.08 to 4.99 +/- 0.16 mueq/10 min) and histamine-stimulated acid secretion (from 2.45 +/- 0.12 to 3.69 +/- 0.21 mueq/10 min). Thyroidectomy decreased the number of parietal cells in the gastric mucosa (to 10.48 +/- 0.09 x 10(6] and basal acid secretion (to 3.09 +/- 0.08 mueq/10 min). Histamine (0.2 mg) injection into the thyroidectomized rats increased acid secretion by only 1.41 +/- 0.06 mueq/10 min as against 2.45 +/- 0.12 mueq/10 min obtained for control rats. The results suggest that thyroid hormones regulate basal and secretagogue-stimulated acid secretion via their effects on parietal cell mass.