Effect of adrenalectomy and glucocorticoids on the secretion and absorption of hydrogen ion.

The effect of bilateral adrenalectomy on the secretion and absorption of acid in Heidenhain pouch dogs has been investigated. It was found that bilateral adrenalectomy significantly decreased the acid output to varying doses of histamine and did not alter the relation between hydrogen ion concentration and the volume rate of secretion. The absorption of acid by the gastric mucosa was not changed by adrenalectomy. Glucocorticoids but not mineralocorticoids restored secretion to normal levels. These experiments indicate that the impaired secretion of acid in response to histamine in adrenalectomized dogs is not attributable to increased leakage of secreted acid from lumen to blood.