Hepatic uptake of synthetic human gastrin I (1-17) in humans

The hepatic uptake of unlabeled synthetic human gastrin I (1-17) was determined in four unanesthetized patients who did not have hepatic or gastroduodenal disease. The hormone was given by brief infusion and at rates producing concentrations of immunoreactive gastrin within the physiologic range. We estimated the first-pass fractional hepatic uptake by comparing the results after a portal and a peripheral infusion in each patient. It was -0.01 +/- 0.14 (mean +/- SD), demonstrating lack of hepatic uptake of gastrin I (1-17) in humans.