Sympathectomy and prostaglandin deficiency do not prevent gastrogenic hyperglycaemia and hyperinsulinaemia

To examine the mechanism of the recently reported effect of an acidified intragastric test meal on insulin release and glucose homeostasis, a liver extract test meal at either pH 2 or pH 7 was instilled into the stomach of normal dogs and dogs with a chemical sympathectomy or indomethacin-induced prostaglandin deficiency, all of which had a bisected pylorus and gastric fistula. In the normal dogs the instillation of the liver meal at pH 2 elicited a significant rise in plasma glucose, glucagon and insulin levels, while in response to the meal at pH 7 only glucagon rose significantly. This was not altered in chemically sympathectomized dogs, nor during the infusion of indomethacin. In all experiments gastrin or gastric glucagon release in response to the meal at pH 2 was either lower than or similar to the response to the meal at pH 7. These data suggest that the influence of the stomach upon islet cell function and glucose homeostasis does not depend on either adrenergic innervation or the presence of prostaglandings, but rather is mediated by a yet undetermined mechanism.