The effect of intestinal fluid transport of exposing the serosa to hydrochloric acid. A study of mechanisms.

Hydrochloric acid (0.1 M) placed on the serosal surface of a jejunal segment evoked an intestinal secretion (rats) or inhibited a net fluid absorption (cats). In rats it was demonstrated that lidocaine (placed on the serosa of periarterially denervated intestinal segments), hexamethonium (given i.v.; innervated or denervated intestines) and indomethacin (given i.v.; denervated intestines) markedly inhibited the acid induced secretion, while atropine (given i.v.) had no effect. In the cat experiments it was shown that tetrodotoxin (given close i.a. to denervated intestines) returned the rate of net fluid absorption to the control value observed before applying acid. It is concluded that exposing the intestinal serosa to an acid solution evokes a fluid secretion that is nervously mediated. Furthermore, it is proposed that prostaglandins are involved in the induction of the fluid secretion probably via a stimulation of nociceptors. It is also suggested that the results may have pathophysiological implications for some types of paralytic ileus.