Gastric Acid Secretion in Sympathectomized Gastric Fistula Gats before and during Reserpine Treatment and in Gastric Fistula Gats during Guanethidine Treatment1

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
Daily intramuscular injections of reserpine for 3 days or more elevate basal gastric secretion of acid and increase the acid secretory responses of nonanesthetized gastric fistula cats to intravenous histamine and gastrin. The possibility that the gastric hypersecretion of the reserpine treated cats might be due to the reduction or loss of adrenergic nerve influences on the stomach was investigated. Neither preganglionic nor pre‐and postganglionic sympathetic denervation of the stomach altered basal acid secretion. Nor did such denervations alter gastric secretory responses to histamine and gastrin except in one of three cats, in which the responses to histamine increased after pre‐and postganglionic denervation. Reserpine treatment produced hypersecretion to the same degree in sympathectomized as in ordinary gastric fistula cats. Daily subcutaneous injections of guanethidine produced no reserpine‐like effects on gastric acid secretion. The results indicate that the adrenergic nerves innervating the stomach normally exert no direct influences on basal acid secretion or on the excitability of the parietal cells to the secretory stimuli used and it was concluded that the hypersecretion of reserpine treated cats is not directly due to the reduced or abolished influences of the adrenergic nerves on the stomach.