Twenty-four hour gastric pH monitoring and blood gastrin concentrations in fasted ponies.
Gastric pH varied widely among eight fasted ponies, of which seven exhibited discrete episodes of spontaneous alkalinisation (SA). SA occurred at all times of the study and no significant variation in the summary variables of pH (median pH, mean pH and percentage of readings exceeding pH 4.0) was noted among the periods 0 to eight, eight to 16 and 16 to 24 hours. The occurrence of SA has significant implications for the performance of acid secretory studies in the fasted pony. There was, however, no significant correlation between pH and plasma gastrin concentration measured using a commercially available radioimmunoassay kit validated for use in the horse. This implies a lack of dependency of the incidence of SA on plasma gastrin or, conversely, of plasma gastrin on the variable pH associated with SA.
Baker
S J
SJ
Department of Large Animal Medicine and Surgery, Royal Veterinary College, University of London, Hatfield, Hertfordshire, London.
Gerring
E L
EL
Fox
M T
MT
D000818:Animals; D002940:Circadian Rhythm; D005215:Fasting; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000502:physiology*; D005745:Gastric Acidity Determination / Q000662:veterinary*; D005755:Gastrins / Q000097:blood*; D006736:Horses / Q000502:physiology*; D008991:Monitoring, Physiologic / Q000662:veterinary; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic
D005755:Gastrins; D011933:Reagent Kits, Diagnostic