EFFECT OF BOMBESIN ON PLASMA CHOLECYSTOKININ IN NORMAL PERSONS AND GASTRECTOMIZED PATIENTS MEASURED BY SEQUENCE-SPECIFIC RADIOIMMUNOASSAYS

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 96  (1) , 55-60
Abstract
Since bombesin is known to stimulate pancreatic enzyme secretion and gallbladder contraction, plasma cholecystokinin (CCK) concentrations were measured during bombesin infusion using sequence-specific radioimmunoassay. Antibody 1703 binds to COOH terminal CCK peptides containing at least 14 amino acid residues, while antibody T204 is specific for the sulfated tyrosine region of CCK. In 9 normal persons infusion of increasing doses of bombesin (2.4, 6, 18 and 60 pmol/kg per 20 min) induced dose-related integrated plasma CCK responses (58.5 .+-. 9.7, 70.5 .+-. 12.2, 79.5 .+-. 11.1 and 101.4 .+-. 15.4 pmol/l per 20 min [antibody 1703] and 50.4 .+-. 11.9, 62.0 .+-. 13.4, 74.7 .+-. 9.2 and 116.1 .+-. 11.3 pmol/l per 20 min [antibody T204]). Infusion of 60 pmol bombesin/kg per 20 min in patients with partial gastrectomy resulted in similar increases in plasma CCK (8.1 .+-. 1.8 pmol/l, antibody 1703; 9.5 .+-. 2.0 pmol/l, antibody T204) as in 8 normal control subjects (6.5 .+-. 0.9 pmol/l, antibody 1703; 8.8 .+-. 1.0 pmol/l, antibody T204). During infusion of bombesin, plasma gastrin levels increased from 16.7 .+-. 1.4 to 49.6 .+-. 8.1 pmol/l (P < 0.005) in the normal persons, while there was no significant change in plasma gastrin levels in gastrectomized patients. Bombesin did not significantly influence gastric acid secretion in 3 patients with partial gastrectomy studied. Infusion of bombesin evidently releases CCK in humans by a gastrin-independent mechanism.