Vasoactive intestinal peptide inhibition of stimulated gastric secretion. I. Inhibition of meat-stimulated gastric secretion.

In an effort to demonstrate a physiologic role of vasoactive intestinal peptide, awake dogs with either Heidenhain pouches or Thiry-Vella loops and duodenal cannulas with duodenoduodenostomies to prevent obstruction were stimulated with meat meals given by mouth and infusions of various substances given intraduodenally, including hypertonic saline solution or 0.16 normal hydrochloric acid. Stimulated Heidenhain pouch secretion was significantly inhibited by concomitant intraduodenal administration of hydrochloric acid. Plasma vasoactive intestinal polypeptide was highest in the animals who received hydrochloric acid intraduodenally among all the intraduodenal stimuli. These findings support a role for vasoactive intestinal polypeptide as a physiologic inhibitor of gastric secretion, at least in dogs.