Neurohumoral inhibitory mechanism initiated by antral distension.

This study examines the effect of graded antral distension with acid (0.1 M HCl) or alkali (0.1 M NaHCO3) on pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion in two groups of dogs. Group A consisted of six dogs provided with innervated antral pouch. In these dogs, the vagal branches to the fundus, as well as the extragastric vagal divisions (hepatic and celiac), were preserved. All of these animals had a gastric fistula in the main stomach, and in two a denervated fundic pouch or Heidenhain pouch was constructed in addition. Group B consisted of four dogs with an innervated antral pouch and gastric fistula. In this latter group, however, parietal cell vagotomy as well as extragastric vagotomy (division of the hepatic and celiac branches) was performed so that the only vagal communication was between the antrum and the CNS. Antral distension with acid caused significant inhibition of pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion from both the gastric fistula and the Heidenhain pouch in Group A dogs. Antral acidification without distension did not inhibit. Alkaline antral distension in this group caused much less inhibition of acid secretion, but did cause significant increase in circulating immunoreactive gastrin. In Group B dogs, antral distension with neither acid nor alkali caused inhibition of pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion, indicating that intact vagal supply to the oxyntic mucosa and/or to the extragastric abdominal organs is necessary for the inhibitory mechanism to operate. The results of this study suggest that: a) antral acidification per se does not inhibit pentagastrin-stimulated acid secretion; and b) antral distension with acid, and to a lesser extent with alkali, is inhibitory only if vagal innervation to the fundus and other abdominal viscera is preserved. The observations are compatible with the hypothesis that antral distension activates a neurohumoral inhibitory mechanism releasing the inhibitor reflexly from sites other than the antrum or CNS.