Vagal stimulation of duodenal HCO3(-)-secretion in anaesthetized rats.

The present study was designed to examine the influence of the vagal nerves on mucosa protective duodenal HCO3(-)-secretion in chloralosed rats. The HCO3(-)-secretion was measured by in situ titration in a duodenal segment devoid of Brunner glands. Cervical vagotomy lowered duodenal HCO3(-)-secretion and stimulation of the cut vagal nerves (10 Hz for 15 min) increased this secretion. Both basal and vagally stimulated duodenal HCO3(-)-secretions were more pronounced in rats with ligated adrenal glands. Atropine did not influence basal duodenal HCO3(-)-secretion, whereas indomethacin and hexamethonium lowered basal secretion in vagotomized rats with ligated adrenal glands. Compared with untreated controls, vagally induced secretory responses were unchanged by atropine, 50% smaller in indomethacin treated rats and almost abolished in rats treated with hexamethonium. The study suggests that the vagal nerves exert an excitatory effect on duodenal HCO3(-)-secretion which is mainly mediated via nicotinic, non-muscarinic transmission, in part dependent on prostaglandin synthesis. Furthermore, the results indicate that the adrenal glands exert an inhibitory action on both the basal and vagally induced mucosa protective HCO3(-)-secretion.