Effect of Chronic Fear on the Gastric Secretion of HCl in Dogs

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Abstract
A study with 7 dogs was undertaken to assay the importance of chronic fear or anxiety in peptic ulcer etiology. Gastric acidity, gastric emptying time, and heart rate were measured and specific and general behavior observations made during control periods and exptl. periods in which there was an attempt to induce and maintain chronic fear by the unpredictable pairing of a strong electric shock with signals from a buzzer. Six of the dogs developed chronic fear behavior. They likewise evidenced increased gastric acidity, increased gastric emptying rate, and nonresting heart rate, and increased variability of both nonresting and resting heart rates. Omission of the shock stimulus led to dissipation of these behavioral, gastric and cardiac changes. Gross and histological examination of the stomach and duodenum of the exptl. animals at autopsy showed no evidence of tissue pathology. Dogs, however, appear particularly resistant to the development of peptic ulcer unless surgically altered.

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