The Effect of Intragastric pH-Variations on the Gastric Acid Response to Insulin Hypoglycaemia in Healthy Subjects and Duodenal Ulcer Patients

Abstract

The gastric acid response to i.v. injection of 0.15 U of soluble insulin/kg b.w. was determined in healthy subjects and duodenal ulcer patients during intragastric perfusion with water, 0.1 M HC1, and alkaline buffer (pH 8.3). Perfusion with hydrochloric acid significantly reduced the peak gastric acid output following insulin in 6 healthy subjects (reduction 45%, p less than 0.05) but had no significant effect on the peak gastric acid response to insulin in 7 DU patients (reduction 16%, p greater than 0.05). The 2.5-hour gastric acid response to insulin was, however, significantly reduced in both groups (56% and 35%, respectively) by exogenous acidification of the stomach. The gastric acid response to insulin hypoglycaemia in 3 DU patients was the same with intragastric water and alkaline buffer perfusion. The reduction of the gastric acid response to insulin hypoglycaemia by intragastric acidification corresponded to a reduced volume secretion and could not be ascribed to increased back diffusion of hydrogen ions or duodenal inhibition. These findings suggest that the gastric acid response to insulin hypoglycaemia is inhibited by a low intragastric pH in man, and that DU patients are less sensitive to the inhibitory mechanism than healthy subjects.