Abstract

We attempted to elucidate the factors involved in gastric hypersecretion of rats during pregnancy and lactation. Acid secretion in pylorus-ligated and vagally denervated fistula rats stimulated with histamine, tetragastrin, and methacholine increased from midterm pregnancy and persisted during lactation. Pepsin secretion remained unaltered during pregnancy but increased during lactation. Vagal denervation itself abolished this hypersecretion. In late pregnancy, a delayed appearance of maximal acid response to histamine was apparent, as compared to nonpregnant rats, and was abolished by aminoguanidine treatment. There was a delay in the maximal response to tetragastrin but not to methacholine. Serum histamine concentrations were 3-4 times higher in late pregnancy, as compared to nonpregnant, lactating and nonlactating rats. Gastric DNA and protein concentrations were significantly increased in lactating rats with concomitant elevation of food intake and serum gastrin levels. Those changes disappeared in nonlactating rats, and gastric secretion was much the same in the nonpregnant rats. These results indicate that acid hypersecretion during pregnancy was exclusively associated with vagal innervation plus high serum histamine levels, while acid and pepsin hypersecretion in lactating rats were associated with vagal innervation plus hyperplastic gastric mucosa and high serum gastrin levels.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.