Chinese Journal of Physiology

BASAL SECRETION OF THE STOMACH 49

In the normal stomach with intact nerves, the vagal influence may dominate the enteric, but whether their acticns are directly antagonistic or exerted on different phases of the gastric secretory mechanism is not clear. The fact that atropine diminishes or abolishes the basal secretion (7,9) shows that a nervous factor is present, but whether the effect is obtained by stimulating the vagal endings or paralysing the enteric we do not known.

Changes in the basal secretion following successive and/or complete denervation.

The effect of successive denervation in a single animal throws further light on the problems discussed above.

Dog 726, was first provided with a Pavlov-pouch on February 5, 1927, and secretion observed on four occasions after recovery; at the end of 25 days, the pouch was converted into a Heidenhain. Observations were continued for a period of 48 days, when the pouch was transplanted so as to complete the denervation. The secretion of the transplanted pouch was followed for 152 days. On converting the Pavloy— into a Heidenhain-pouch the mean basal secretion fell from 5.4 (go 2.4) to 0.5 (6 1.2) mg HCl per hour, while after transplantation, there was some slight increase, 0.8 (g 2.1). This accords well with the results of the group experiments given in table 1; further it will be noted that after complete denervation the variability increased (see fig. 6).

The response to meals suffered markedly after vago-enteric section, viz., 60.1 (¢ 20.8) to 5.2 (@ 4.8) while after complete denervation, there was an insignificant improvement (6.0, g 4.2). If the secretory change, however, is followed daily and the results grouped for convenience into monthly periods, it will be found that the Heidenhainpouch showed a progressive deterioration of both basal and active secretions which continued for a brief period after complete denervation, but that later the basa] secretion began to fluctuate between a larger range and the active secretion or response to meals recovered progressively so that by the fourth month it exceeded that of the Heidenhain-pouch stage. This animal died on November 3, 1927, 193 days after transplantation; the autopsy showed that the couplers used in the anastomosis of the gastric vessels were in a pus porket surrounded by omentum, the original vessels having been completely absorbed. New vessels, however, were found in the peripheral adhesions attached to the transplanted peuch, and the question arises whether secretory nerves had arisen to supply the glands (see fig. 10).