A quantitative study of metiamide, a histamine H2-antagonist, on the isolated whole rat stomach.

1. An isolated whole stomach preparation from immature rats is described. The lumen of the stomach was perfused and the hydrogen ion activity of the perfusate recorded continuously. 2. The mean basal acid secretion before stimulation was 4-19 +/- 0-31 X 10 (-8) mol min-1. Metiamide did not significantly reduce this spontaneous secretion. 3. The preparation gave dose-dependent responses to histomine (10(-5)-10(-4)M) which were readily reversed on washing. 4. The effect of metiamide on histamine-stimulated acid secretion was investigated. Metamide, at doses of 3 X 10(-6)M, and 3 X 10(-5)M, caused a parallel displacement of the histamine dose-response curve, indicating competitive antagonism. These dose-response curves were used to calculate dose ratios (DR) for metiamide. 5. A plot of log10 (DR - 1) against log 10 [antagonist] gave a pA2 value for metiamide of 5-91.