Long-term effects of calcitonin on gastric secretion in normals, peptic ulcer and high risk patients.

Using a 12-hour infusion of salmon synthetic calcitonin (S-CT), distinct and sustained inhibition of gastric acid and pepsin secretion has been demonstrated in 4 normal subjects, 3 patients with peptic ulcer disease and 3 high risk patients. In 3 patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, treated in the same way, elevated serum gastrin was reduced by about 50% and acid secretion by more than 90%. In healthy volunteers oral administration of human synthetic CT (H-CT) led to reduction in basal and pentagastrin-stimulated acid and pepsin secretion by about 50%, lasting for more than 2 hours after the instillation of CT. In 4 subjects receiving CT intravenously, slight nausea and headache were registered, while there were no side effects after the oral route. Serum calcium did not change after i.v. or oral administration of CT. Wheras therapeutical applications of CT, given by i.v. route, seem to be restricted to selected cases, i.e. acute gastric ulcerations with imminent or existent bleeding, the eventual benefit or orally administered CT in peptic ulcer disease should be evaluated in controlled long-term trials.