Abstract
In order to study the effects of a physiologic meal on calcitonin (CT) secretion we studied 6 normal male volunteers (aged 28–34 yr). Each subject was given, on two separate days, either a mixed meal or 200 ml of distilled water, in random order. Gastrin (G) was effectively stimulated by the meal (F = 8.82; p < 0.001) and reached a peak (with an average 100% increase) 30 min after the end of the meal, slowly decreasing thereafter; no increase was seen after water ingestion. On the other hand, CT levels remained stable throughout the observation period on both occasions. Ionized and total calcium did not show significant variations either after the meal or after water ingestion. These findings suggest that G alone, at the concentrations usually reached after a physiologic meal, is unable to stimulate CT secretion, at least in the absence of calcium increases.
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Pedrazzoni, M., Ciotti, G., Davoli, L. et al. Meal-stimulated gastrin release and calcitonin secretion. J Endocrinol Invest 12, 409–412 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03350714
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03350714