Gastric mucus viscosity and peptic ulcer.

The following observations have been made: 1. The viscosity of a substance as complex as mucus requires study at different rates of shear and shear stresses. 2. Visible gastric mucus behaves as a pseudoplastic substance. 3. Duodenal ulcer patients have a higher gastric mucus viscosity than controls. 4. Pentagastrin stimulation in duodenal ulcer patients leads to the secretion of gastric mucus of low viscosity. 5. This decrease in the viscosity of gastric mucus on pentagastrin stimulation does not occur in patients with gastric ulcer. 6. Truncal vagotomy leads to an increase in the viscosity of gastric mucus under basal and stimulted conditions.