Inhibitory effect of cigarette smoking on gastric secretion stimulated by pentagastrin in man

Abstract

Cigarette smoking produced significant inhibition of pentagastriri-stimulated gastric-acid secretion in normal volunteers and in patients with duodenal or gastric ulceration. Secretion of pepsin also diminished. Inhibition was more pronounced in normal subjects than in patients with ulcer. Intravenous infusion of nicotine acid tartrate produced inhibition of widely varying degree. One cigarette produced as much inhibition as did two cigarettes. Inhibition was as great in habitual smokers as in non-smokers. The results suggest that smoking after a meal will reduce the gastric secretory response to the meal. The benefit derived from giving up smoking by patients with peptic ulcer is unlikely to be due to any decrease in acid secretion. On the contrary, giving up smoking might lead to an increase in gastric secretion. Cigarette smoking produced significant inhibition of pentagastriri-stimulated gastric-acid secretion in normal volunteers and in patients with duodenal or gastric ulceration. Secretion of pepsin also diminished. Inhibition was more pronounced in normal subjects than in patients with ulcer. Intravenous infusion of nicotine acid tartrate produced inhibition of widely varying degree. One cigarette produced as much inhibition as did two cigarettes. Inhibition was as great in habitual smokers as in non-smokers. The results suggest that smoking after a meal will reduce the gastric secretory response to the meal. The benefit derived from giving up smoking by patients with peptic ulcer is unlikely to be due to any decrease in acid secretion. On the contrary, giving up smoking might lead to an increase in gastric secretion.