title: [Gastric Acid].
abstract: Gastric acid, a product of parietal cells secretion, full fills multiple biological roles which are absolutely necessary to keep corporal homeostasis. The production of the acid depends upon an effector cellular process represented in the first step by histamine, acetilcholine and gastrin, first messengers of the process. These interact with specific receptors than in sequence activate second messengers -cAMP and the calcium-calmodulin system- which afterwards activate a kinase. An specific protein is then phosphorilated by this enzyme, being the crucial factor that starts the production of acid. Finally, a proton bomb, extrudes the acid towards the gastric lumen. The secretion process mentioned above, is progressive lyactivated in three steps, two of which are stimulators -cephalic and gastric phases- and the other one inhibitor or intestinal phase. These stages are started by mental and neurological phenomena -thought, sight, smell or memory-; by food, drugs or other ingested substances; and by products of digestion. Changes in regulation of acid secretion, in the structure of gastro-duodenal mucosal barrier by a wide spectrum of factors and agents including food, drugs and H. pylori, are the basis of acid-peptic disease, entity in which gastric acid plays a fundamental role. From the therapeutic point of view, so at the theoretical as at the practical levels, t is possible to interfere with the secretion of acid by neutralization of some of the steps of the effector cellular process. An adequate knowledge of the basics related to gastric acid, allows to create strategies for the clinical handling of associated pathology, specifically in relation to peptic acid disease in all of the known clinical forms.
authors.affiliation: Facultad de Medicina Humana, UNMSM, Perú.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ruíz Chávez
mesh_terms: D000109:Acetylcholine / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D020013:Calcium Signaling; D002147:Calmodulin / Q000502:physiology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000502:physiology; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D005089:Exocytosis / Q000187:drug effects; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000502:physiology; D005755:Gastrins / Q000502:physiology; D006632:Histamine / Q000502:physiology; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D017494:Proton Pumps / Q000187:drug effects; D011584:Psychology; D015290:Second Messenger Systems / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D000897:Anti-Ulcer Agents; D002147:Calmodulin; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005755:Gastrins; D006635:Histamine H2 Antagonists; D017494:Proton Pumps; D006632:Histamine; D000242:Cyclic AMP; D000109:Acetylcholine