Abstract
Arteriovenous differences for several potential metabolic substrates were measured across the fundic wall of the stomach of rats that had been starved overnight. There was an uptake of glucose and D-3-hydroxybutyrate, but no significant arteriovenous differences for acetoacetate, pyruvate, nonesterified fatty acids and glycerol were apparent. Lactate output represented a substantial fraction of glucose uptake when the arterial lactate concentration was within the resting physiological range, but when the arterial lactate concentration was > 1.3 mM, lactate was taken up by the stomach. Stimulation of acid secretion by pentagastrin did not affect the value of arteriovenous differences. Thus, blood flow to the fundic mucosa and substrate metabolism may be similarly enhanced by pentagastrin. Metabolism of glucose and D-3-hydroxybutyrate, and to a lesser extent of glutamine and branched-chain amino acids could supply energy to power acid secretion.