Role of antrum and duodenum in the control of postprandial gastric acid secretion and plasma gastrin concentration in dogs.

Three dogs were provided with Pavlov pouches. In two subsequent operations the antrum and the duodenal bulb were removed and the gastrointestinal continuity was restored by gastroduodenostomy. Gastric acid and gastrin secretion were stimulated by a test meal. The feeding experiments were repeated after each operation. The gastrin response to a test meal was markedly reduced but not eliminated by antral resection. Additional removal of the duodenal bulb significantly lowered the basal plasma gastrin concentration and abolished the gastrin response to feeding. The acid response to test meals was significantly increased by antrectomy. Extirpation of the duodenal bulb reduced the postprandial acid output to or below preantrectomy levels. The findings indicate that the antrobulbar region exerts a complex influence on gastric acid secretion which may result in stimulation or inhibition of the HCl glands. Removal of the pyloric antrum and the duodenal bulb does not effectively reduce postprandial acid secretion.