[Gastrin is not implicated in intestinal adaptation after extensive resection of the small intestine in rats]

Because gastrin is thought to be a trophic agent for the digestive tract, we studied the effects of endogenous variations of plasma gastrin on the small intestinal mucosa after a 90 p. 100 jejunoileal resection in the rat. Hypogastrinemia was induced by antrectomy while hypergastrinemia resulted from vagotomy. Pyloroplasty had no effect on gastrinemia. Small bowel resection increased mucosal weight, DNA and protein content; these changes were more obvious in the jejunum and ileum than in the duodenum. Gastric operations performed before the resection did not significantly modify these parameters except for the level of protein. Our results indicate that endogenous gastrin plays no role in the adaptive growth response of the intestinal mucosa after extensive small bowel resection.