Although the purified porcine enteroglucagons glicentin and oxyntomodulin inhibit pentagastrin-stimulated gastrin acid secretion when given parenterally to rats, it is not known whether the postprandial rise in endogenous enteroglucagons is capable of exerting a similar effect. We have used the α-glucosidase inhibitor acarbose in combination with a sucrose- and starch-rich semisynthetic diet over 8 days to bring about a mean increase of 89 pmol/l in the fasting plasma enteroglucagon concentration in rats, without significantly affecting plasma gastrin concentrations. There was no significant suppression of pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion in the acarbose-treated rats, suggesting that endogenous enteroglucagons do not act as physiological inhibitors of gastric acid secretion.

This content is only available via PDF.
You do not currently have access to this content.