Histamine is able to suppress the inhibitory effect of somatostatin on exogenous gastrin: comparison between extractive antral histamine and synthetic histamine.

In view of examining inhibition by somatostatin of gastrin-induced gastric secretion, antral histamine (AH) and synthetic histamine (SH) were comparatively studied in dogs. Both AH and SH were able to antagonize somatostatin: their potencies did not differ significantly as regards acid secretion, but AH is more potent than SH on pepsin secretion. The dose-dependent activity of AH was limited for the period of infusion. The denervated pouch is more sensitive than the innervated stomach. We suggest that antral histamine might intervene in the complex regulation of gastric secretion where somatostatin and gastrin act antagonistically and where the stimulatory as well as inhibitory fibers of the vagus intervene.