AJP - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol 248, Issue 3 337-G341, Copyright © 1985 by American Physiological Society
Dissociated effects of somatostatin on gastric acid secretion and mucosal blood flow
F. W. Leung and P. H. Guth
Somatostatin has been reported to control upper gastrointestinal
hemorrhage, prevent restraint stress-induced gastric ulcerations, and
inhibit gastric acid secretion. In this study we examined the effect of
somatostatin on basal and pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid output and
mucosal blood flow. Antral and corpus mucosal blood flows were measured by
hydrogen gas clearance in fasted, anesthetized rats. Acid output was
determined by a continuous gastric perfusion technique. In the basal study
somatostatin in doses of 8, 16, and 32 micrograms . kg-1 . h-1 was infused
intravenously in separate groups of animals. In the pentagastrin
stimulation study somatostatin (16 micrograms . kg-1 . h-1) was infused
after gastric acid output was stimulated to plateau by intravenous
pentagastrin (19.8 micrograms . kg-1 . h-1). The results showed that
somatostatin had no effect on basal corpus or antral mucosal blood flow.
During pentagastrin stimulation somatostatin decreased acid secretion but
increased corpus mucosal blood flow. We speculate that this increase in
blood flow may not be a direct effect as basal corpus or antral mucosal
blood flow was unaffected by somatostatin.
