Gastric secretion in the mouse.

OGAWA, T. AND H. NECHELES. Gastric secretion in the mouse. Am. J. Physiol. 194(2) : 303-307. 19$3.-The basal and stimulated gastric secretion of unanesthetized Holtzman substrain of Rockland RAP white Swiss male mice was investigated. Intubation of the stomach with a plastic tube yielded low values of secretion and acidity due to irritation and mucus production in the stomach. Simpl .e ligation of the pylorus demonstrated that the mouse has a constant basal secretion. H istamine stimulated acid production only when employed in very large doses. Best results were obtained when 0.7 mg of histamine dihydrochloride/gm of body weight (70 mg/kg) was injected subcutaneously. Experiments with ligated pylorus of more than 6-hour duration demonstrated lower acidities, and 24-hour experiments showed no free acid, low total acidity and pH near neutrality. I s EXPERIMENTS with pyloric ligation in mice (the ‘Shay mouse)), we have observed considerably lower incidence of ulcer formation (I) compared with that in the ‘Shay rat’ (2). This fact may be attributable to the rate of volume and acid secretion in the mouse, to effects of tension of the stretched stomach wall, or to technical difficulties. Since we were not able to rind data in the literature on in zfivo gastric secretion in this animal, the present study was undertaken. In preliminary experiments we encountered complications, such as considerable weight loss during preoperative fasting (especially by dehydration)’ coprophagy, trichophagy, sensitiveness to changes of room temperature and possible psychological effects. However, our final results indicate the degree and some of the mechanisms of gastric secretion in the mouse.