Gastric secretion and serum gastrin level in chicken

Abstract

AIM: To report a new method designed to collect gastric juice from chicken, and determine the basal level of gastric acid and serum gastrin, and the effect of pentagastrin on gastric acid output.

METHODS: White Leghorn chickens, weighing 1.3-1.7 kg, deprived of food 24 h prior to experiment, were anaesthetized with pentobarbital sodium (60 μg/kg, im). A reverse double lumen perfusion cannula was introduced into the distal portion of the proventriculus through the crop incision. The perfusate drained out from the cannular outlet was collected to determine the gastric acid. Gastric acid volume was determined by titration with 0.01 N NaOH. Serum gastrin levels were measured by radioimmunoassay using gastrin assay kit.

RESULTS: Acid output in the basal state was 0.041 ± 0.006 mmol/L/10 min, or 0.246 ± 0.031 mmol/L/h. The serum gastrin concentration was 78.27 ± 19.19 pg/mL (n = 22). Three groups were injected pentagastrin at three dose level, 20 μg/kg, 60 μg/kg, 120 μg/kg, respectively. The maximum output in three groups was 275%, 181% and 167% of their control acid output. Isoproterenol at a dose of 0.3 mg/kg produced obvious inhibition of pentagastrin stimulated gastric secretion. The effect of isoproterenol on gastric secretion was completely abolished by propranolol, a β-receptor antagonist, but was not done by practolol, another β1-receptor antagonist.

CONCLUSION: The basal gastric acid output of chicken was high. Pentagastrin remarkably stimulated gastric acid secretion, which could be inhibited by isoproterenol.

Key Words: Chickens; Gastric juice; Gastric acid; Gastrins/blood; Pentagastrin; Isoproterenol