Effect of arginine infusion on endogenous pancreatic glucagon and gastric acid secretion in duodenal ulcer patients and normal subjects.

The effect of intravenous infusion of L-arginine on pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion was studied in 15 duodenal ulcer patients and 12 healthy subjects. In both groups L-arginine enhanced plasma concentrations of pancreatic glucagon equally and to levels similar to those seen after a protein-rich meal and inhibited the acid response in duodenal ulcer patients and in normal subjects. The study supports previous findings suggesting that pancreatic glucagon is a physiological inhibitor of gastric acid secretion but does not support the hypothesis of a defect in this inhibitory system in duodenal ulcer patients.