Basal gastric secretion, mucosal blood flow and associated fasting blood hormones in the rat. Effects of various forms of sympathectomy

After various types of sympathectomy (surgical, chemical, isolated adrenodemedullation; AMX, combined procedures) in the rat, basal gastric secretion, gastric mucosal blood flow (MBF), associated glucose and a variety of hormones in the blood were measured. With the exception of the ineffective surgical sympathectomy, all the other forms variously influence gastric secretion qualitatively (volume, acidity, pepsin) and quantitatively (output per unit time). Chemical sympathectomy has an augmenting effect both on acid (volume, acidity, output) and on pepsin. In general the MBF parallels acid, but the MBF is decreased after AMX despite stable or increased gastric secretion. Sympathectomy, except procedures involving AMX or AMX + surgical sympathectomy, increases spontaneous gastric mucosal lesions. With AMX glucose is diminished, but is elevated following surgical and chemical sympathectomy. Gastrin, insulin and somatostatin are always higher than in sham-operated controls, glucagon after surgical sympathectomy only. It is concluded that (1) the sympathoadrenal system in the rat modulates both basal gastric secretion and blood hormones; (2) the adrenal medulla may participate in the control of gastric MBF, and (3) gastric mucosal lesions are not correctly reflected by the ration MBF/acidity.