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Stimulation of human pepsin output by topical hydrochloric acid

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Abstract

Pepsin secretion is stimulated by the back-diffusion of acid across the mucosa of the vagally denervated canine pouch. If back-diffusion is enhanced by damage, pepsin secretion increases. The current study investigates whether this mechanism exists in man. The stomachs of normal human volunteers were irrigated for 1 hour with either buffer or 0.01 N HCl, 1 hour with 0.2 N HCl, and a final hour with buffer or 0.01 N HCl. During the middle hour both the concentration and output of pepsin increased three- or fourfold. From these studies it appears that the human gastric mucosa contains a mechanism similar to the dog's which results in the stimulation of pepsin secretion when exposed to acid. This mechanism could be of etiologic significance in gastric ulcer disease, which has been shown to be associated with increased gastric-musocal permeability.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Baylor, USA

    T. E. Bynum MD &  Leonard R. Johnson PhD (recipient of NIH research career development award AM 28972)

  2. Program in Physiology, University of Texas Medical School, 6400 West Cullen Street, Houston, Texas

    T. E. Bynum MD &  Leonard R. Johnson PhD (recipient of NIH research career development award AM 28972)

Authors
  1. T. E. Bynum MD
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  2. Leonard R. Johnson PhD
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Additional information

Supported by NIH research grant AM 14392 and a grant from the Kelsey and Leary Foundation, Houston, Texas.

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Bynum, T.E., Johnson, L.R. Stimulation of human pepsin output by topical hydrochloric acid. Digest Dis Sci 20, 607–612 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01071170

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01071170

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