Observations on plasma gastrin and plasma pepsinogen in relation to weaning and gastric (pars oesophagea) ulceration in pigs.

Plasma gastrin and pepsinogen were measured at weekly intervals in 38 pigs from weaning at about four weeks of age until slaughter at 24 weeks. Plasma gastrin was 104 +/- 6.2, 85 +/- 11.2, 126 +/- 11.67 mol per litre in the pigs aged four, five and six weeks and 43 +/- 2.57, 31 +/- 2.29, 17 +/- 0.87 mol per litre when they were 21, 22 and 23 weeks old. Sixteen of the pigs had apparently normal stomachs, the remainder had some degree of epithelial hyperplasia and, or, ulceration of the pars oesophagea of the stomach. No differences were detected between plasma gastrin and plasma pepsinogen in pigs with normal stomachs and those showing evidence of epithelial hyperplasia or ulceration of the pars oesophagea. If ulcers of this region arise from hypersecretion of gastric acid some factor(s) other than gastrin appear to be involved. The possibility is discussed that the progressive decline in plasma gastrin is part of the maturation process.