Gastric acid secretion results from antagonistic effects of antral histamine (Antramine) and somatostatin on gastrin.

Gastric acid secretion, whole blood histamine concentration and serum gastrin were measured in dogs, equipped with Heidenhain pouch, in response to feeding alone and in combination with antral histamine (AH)--Antramine--or with somatostatin. Feeding stimulated acid secretion, histamine and gastrin responses in a dose-related manner. Addition of antramine to feeding resulted in a potentiated acid and gastrin responses while histamine response corresponded to sum of individual responses to antramine and to feeding. Somatostatin reduced markedly acid and histamine responses, while gastrin response was unchanged. Serum gastrin and whole blood histamine appear to be agonistic factors responsible together for acid secretion. Somatostatin suppresses histamine response and would inhibit gastrin activity on acid secreting cells by this mean. Somatostatin and histamine might act antagonistically on gastrin which would be their common substrate, and thus they could intervene in a regulation process of acid secretion. In regard to synthetic histamine, native antral histamine--antramine--appears to be a better candidate for a physiological histamine regulation of acid secretion.