Secretagogue-produced duodenal ulcers in the rat.

Duodenal ulcers were produced in rats by the subcutaneous infusion for 6-48 hours of two gastric secretagogues in combination: pentagastrin (2 or 4 microgram kg-1 min-1) and carbachol (0-4 or 0-8 microgram kg-1 min-1). With increasing duration of infusion and higher doses there were increases in the incidence, severity, number and perforation rate of duodenal ulcers, their caudad distribution and mortality from peritonitis. This method of producing duodenal ulcers may sufficiently resemble the clinical situation to provide a model for the study of anti-ulcer drugs and the natural history of duodenal ulcers.