Inhibition of gastrin-stimulated canine acid secretion by sham-feeding

In dogs with a Heidenhain pouch and oesophageal and gastric fistulae, sham feeding inhibited pentagastrin-stimulated Heidenhain pouch acid output. When secretion was stimulated with a combination of pentagastrin and betanechol chloride, the inhibitory effect of sham feeding was less pronounced. Histamine-stimulated secretion was not inhibited by sham feeding. The inhibitory effect was not affected by extragastric abdominal vagotomy but was reduced or abolished by truncal vagotomy. The results are consistent with the hypothesis that vagal activity releases a hormone which has an inhibitory action on gastric acid secretion.