Secretory Function of the Stomach After Denervating Operations

¹ From the Department of Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School and the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts

The acid secretory function of the stomach was observed in ulcer patients with intact stomachs and in patients after three types of operative procedures. After those operations which caused interruption of parasympathetic innervation there was only slight increase in volume after histamine and there was a decrease in the volume of secretion during insulin hypoglycemia. After both types of stimulation, the concentration of secreted chloride increased. It is suggested that one of the major effects of histamine is on the vascular system of the stomach and that an important effect of parasympathetic denervation is the interruption of reflex arcs which normally permit vasodilatation in response to stimulation.