Alterations in secretory patterns following vagotomy in rats with Pavlov or Heidenhain pouches.

1. In conscious rats provided with Pavlov or Heidenhain pouches, the acid and pepsin secretion in response to feeding and infusion of gastrin was established before and after truncal vagotomy. In Pavlov pouches the responses to 2-deoxy-D-glucose, methacholine and the combination of gastrin and methacholine were also studied.2. Interdigestive secretion of acid and pepsin after vagotomy was decreased in the Pavlov pouch and increased in the Heidenhain pouch.3. The acid response to feeding in the Pavlov pouch was substantially reduced after vagotomy, whereas the secretion of pepsin was only slightly diminished.4. In the Heidenhain pouch after vagotomy, feeding augmented the high interdigestive secretion.5. After vagotomy, the acid dose-response curve to gastrin was shifted to the right in the Pavlov pouch and to the left in the Heidenhain pouch.6. In the Pavlov pouch after vagotomy, the acid response to the highest dose of methacholine employed was significantly enhanced.7. A background infusion of methacholine reestablished in the Pavlov pouch the reduced responsiveness to gastrin following vagotomy.8. Pepsin secretion was stimulated by gastrin in the Heidenhain pouch and after vagotomy in the Pavlov pouch. The stimulatory effect of methacholine on pepsin secretion in the Pavlov pouch was increased after vagotomy.