title: The effect of antral acidification on serum gastrin levels in neonatal pigs.
abstract: The cause of the physiologic hypochlorhydria and hypergastrinemia of the newborn is not understood. The effect of antral acidification on basal serum gastrin was studied in 32 anesthetized Landrace piglets divided into four groups of eight animals each: Group A, 1 to 7 days old; Group B, 8 to 15 days old; Group C, 16 to 24 days old; and Group D, 25 to 48 days old. After a 2-hr fast, halothane anesthesia was administered. Inflow and outflow cannulae were inserted into the gastric lumen to create an intact isolated gastric antrum. HCl in saline (pH 2.5) was infused (10 cc/min) for 15 min and drained by continuous suction. The effluent was confirmed to be pH 2.5. Portal venous blood samples were obtained at basal levels and at 5, 10, and 15 min and assayed for gastrin. All groups had markedly elevated serum gastrin levels, as compared to normal adult values, in the basal state. Basal gastrin levels declined with increasing age to approach adult values by 7 weeks. Following antral acidification in Groups A, B, and C, there was a significant reduction in serum gastrin. All suppressed values remained significantly higher than adult basal, however. There was no significant change in gastrin levels in Group D with acidification.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University of Virginia Medical Center, Charlottesville 22908.
authors.forename: W S
authors.initials: WS
authors.lastname: Stevens
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Rodgers
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005755:Gastrins / Q000097:blood*; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid / Q000494:pharmacology; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D008297:Male; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000378:metabolism; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000502:physiology*; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D005755:Gastrins; D006851:Hydrochloric Acid