The action of bombesin on gastric secretion of the chicken.

The natural tetradecapeptide bombesin at a threshold dose of 3--5 ng/kg/min i.v. stimulates gastric secretion in the chicken with either an acute or a chronic proventriculus fistula; this effect is blocked by atropine. The occurrence of tachyphylaxis in the acute, but not in the chronic preparation, and the inhibition of the response by proventriculus acidification, in the presence of an intact sensitivity to caerulein -- a directly stimulating agent -- support the hypothesis of an indirect mechanism of action of bombesin, namely the release of endogenous gastrin, as well as of the existence of gastrin also in the chicken.