Gastrin-17 injected into the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus can induce gastric acid secretion in rats.

Injections of picomolar quantities of gastrin-17 into the hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus increased gastric acid output in anesthetized rats. The response was dose-dependent, and it was blocked by atropin and by vagotomy. The same doses, injected intravenously, intraventriculary or into sites far from the nucleus, did not increase the output. Cholecystokinin-8 injected into the nucleus had no effect on the acid output.