Production of Gastric and Duodenal Ulcers in the Gat by Intramuscular Implantation of Histamine.

Abstract

The finding of Code and Varco that prolonged stimulation of gastric secretion could be obtained by the injection of a histamine beeswax mixture into dogs offered a means of testing whether endogenous gastric secretion could produce ulcers of the stomach or duodenum. Cats were chosen for this investigation, because it had been found in a recent study in this laboratory that these animals developed erosions and ulcerations of the stomach and duodenum quite readily when 0.4% hydrochloric acid was instilled daily into the stomach through a fistula (Walpole). It seemed possible that a profitable comparison might be made between ulcer production in response to endogenous and exogenous acid. Experimental Procedure. The problem was approached by first studying the effects of single injections of the histamine beeswax mixture on gastric secretion and then observing the effects produced by chronic histamine administration. The effect of the histamine beeswax mixture upon gastric secretion was studied in 3 cats with a standard type of gastrostomy. Controls. Control observations were made with 2 of these animals some days prior to the injections of histamine. The continuous secretion of the fasting stomach was collected every 8 hours for 24 hours. Several days later each cat was given an intramuscular injection of plain beeswax mixture equivalent in amount to that in a dose of the histamine beeswax mixture and the continuous gastric secretion was collected every 8 hours for 24 hours. In addition, in 3 control cats beeswax alone was implanted daily intramuscularly over periods varying from 8 to 23 days. In each instance, the cat gained weight and its general health appeared satisfactory. One of these cats was killed and subjected to a careful necropsy. There was no ulcer.