The effect of cimetidine on gastrin release in ulcer disease

The effect of a single dose of 400 mg of the H2-receptor antagonist cimetidine on protein meal stimulated immunoreactive gastrin was assessed in ten patients with gastric ulcer and ten patients with duodenal ulcer. In gastric ulcer patients, serum gastrin (mean +/- SE) rose from 34 +/- 2.2 pmol.l-1 to a peak of 80 +/- 5.0 pmol.l-1 at 45 minutes without and from 36 +/- 2.2 to 107 +/- 8.0 pmol.l-1 at 60 minutes with cimetidine; in duodenal ulcer it rose from 26 +/- 3.0 to 47 +/- 5.1 pmol.l-1 at 45 minutes without and 26 +/- 3.2 to 52 +/- 5.1 pmol.l-1 at 60 minutes with cimetidine. Integrated gastrin responses in gastric ulcer were 4900 +/- 800 pmol.l-1 120 minutes without and 7000 +/- 900 pmol.l-1 120 minutes with cimetidine and 1560 +/- 300 pmol.l-1 120 minutes without and 2620 +/- 400 pmol.l-1 120 minutes with cimetidine in duodenal ulcer patients. These gastrin increases after cimetidine are comparable to those achieved with continuous intragastric neutralisation with alkali.