Abstract
The present study was performed to test the effect of oral bethanechol (B) on endogenous gastrin release, both basally and in association with the physiologic stimulus of a protein meal. Serum gastrin levels were obtained from 10 normal subjects following: (1) an oral placebo; (2) an oral dose of 25 mg of B; (3) a 100-g protein meal plus placebo; and (4) a 100-g protein meal plus 25 mg of B. Following B or placebo there were no significant changes in basal serum gastrin levels of 98.7±29.3 (±se) pg/ml and 82.4±12.3 pg/ml, respectively. Significant increases of serum gastrin occurred after the protein meal (P<0.01) and after the protein meal combined with B. The gastrin levels thus obtained were significantly greater than basal values but not different from each other. It is proposed that LES pressure increases following B are not due to the release of endogenous gastrin as shown by the absence of increases in basal serum gastrin levels and failure to augment the gastrin release of a physiologic stimulus.
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This work was supported by the Department of the Navy Clinical Investigation Program Grant #5-05-530R and in part from Research Grant #AM 137111 from the National Institutes of Health.
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Humphries, T.J., Higgs, R.H., Castell, D.O. et al. Serum gastrin concentrations following oral bethanechol with and without a meal. Digest Dis Sci 23, 225–228 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01072322
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01072322