Exposure of the duodenum to high concentrations of hydrochloric acid. Effects on mucosal permeability, alkaline secretion, and blood flow.

Proximal duodenum was perfused with HCl for 5 min and the effects on blood-to-lumen clearance of 51Cr-EDTA (ED-Cl), morphology, luminal alkalinization, and blood flow determined in anesthetized rats. The rate of alkalinization was determined by back titration and blood flow assessed by laser Doppler flowmetry or by ultrasonic transit time flowmetry. Perfusion of duodenum with 30, 50 or 100 mM HCl for 5 min increased ED-Cl in a concentration-dependent manner and induced a small increase in alkalinization but had no effect on blood flow. At 55 min after cessation of perfusion with 100 mM HCl ED-Cl was 2.2-fold higher than control whereas the ED-Cl values in animals perfused with 30 or 50 mM HCl were not different from pre-acid control values. 100 mM HCl also induced an increase in 14C-mannitol and 14C-polyethylene glycol 4000 clearance, suggesting that HCl does indeed increase mucosal permeability. The 100 mM HCl-induced rise in mucosal permeability most probably reflects disturbance of mucosal integrity because three of five animals exhibited villous tip damage. The increases in ED-Cl in response to 100 mM HCl were the same in control rats as in rats with the renal pedicles ligated, indicating that the acid susceptibility is not affected by acute functional nephrectomy.