Increase in duodenal tissue gastrin in dogs following antrectomy with gastroduodenostomy and after total gastrectomy with oesophagoduodenostomy.

The gastrin concentration in plasma and duodenal tissue was determined in dogs following antrectomy and total gastrectomy as well as in unoperated control animals. The first week after both types of operations, during which time the dogs were parenterally fed the basal plasma gastrin concentration was markedly reduced, and then it slightly increased. The increase in plasma gastrin concentration from the second postoperative week until sacrifice was found to be statistically significant in one of six antrectomized dogs and in two of three dogs in which the whole stomach had been resected. In unoperated controls the gastrin concentration in the proximal third of the duodenum was found to be 6.8 +/- 0.8 pmol/g tissue wet weight (mean value +/- SE, n = 11). Following antrectomy a time dependent increase was seen, the corresponding values being 11.0 +/- 2.5 (n = 4), 36.4 +/- 15.7 (n = 6) and 136.1 +/- 44.2 (n = 6) pmol/g at 3, 9-10 and 14-16 weeks after operation, respectively. A similar increase was seen following total gastrectomy. 8 weeks after this type of operation the concentration was 22.2 +/- 12.5 (n = 3) pmol/g. The gastrin concentration of the middle and distal thirds of the duodenum was not changed by the operations. The results show that removal of the main source of gastrin, i.e. the pyloric antrum, induces an increase in the tissue level of gastrin in the upper portion of the duodenum.