Recovery of secretin in acid small intestinal lumen perfusates in the rabbit.

Immunoreactive secretin concentrations were measured in femoral venous plasma and in intestinal perfusates during acid and neutral perfusion of small intestinal segments in anesthetized rabbits. Steady-state plasma and luminal secretin concentrations were less than 20 pg/ml. Duodenal perfusion with with 0.1 N hydrochloric acid stimulated peak plasma immunoreactive secretin concentrations of 200 - 300 pg/ml within five minutes. Acid stimulated plasma concentrations remained constant during 30 minutes of perfusion. Secretin output into the acid perfusate (2000 - 4000 pg/min) accompanied the release into plasma. Subsequent perfusion with a neutral solution resulted in a rapid return to steady-state plasma and luminal secretin concentrations. Sequential acid perfusion of the ileum, jejunum, and duodenum stimulated similar concentrations of secretin in plasma and luminal perfusates.