Luminal gastric somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in response to various stimuli in man.

This study investigates release of somatostatin-like immunoreactivity (SLI) into the gastric lumen of five healthy human subjects in response to pharmacological stimuli (pentagastrin and secretin) and physiological stimuli (sham feeding and intrajejunal perfusion of elemental diet). Basal and poststimulation gastric juice aspirates were collected at 15-min intervals, extracted with acetone, and SLI determined by radioimmunoassay, with these results: A considerable amount of SLI was secreted during the basal period. Pentagastrin stimulated SLI release quickly and was associated with increased acid secretion.

Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy in normal asymptomatic volunteers.

In a prospective study, 355 healthy, asymptomatic, male volunteers, 18 to 45 years of age, were screened by esophagogastroduodenoscopy before admission to clinical trials. One hundred thirty-four volunteers (38%) showed abnormal endoscopic findings. Some volunteers had more than one site of involvement or more than one grade of lesion in each anatomic location.

Light and electron microscopic studies of diet-induced hepatic changes in mice.

Adult mice were fed a choline-deficient ethionine enriched (CDE) diet for 24, 48 or 72 h. They were then fasted for 24 or 48 h prior to sacrifice. All tissues were studied by light and electron microscopy.

A new criterion in the assessment of bentiromide as a test of exocrine pancreatic function in alcoholics.

Bentiromide (N-benzoyl-L-tyrosyl-p-aminobenzoic acid; Bz-Tyr-PABA) is a useful agent in the assessment of exocrine pancreatic function. Bz-Tyr-PABA is hydrolyzed by chymotrypsin in the intestine with liberation of PABA and its metabolic products, arylamines. This study was undertaken to determine the normal values for absorption and excretion of arylamines in normal volunteers and in alcoholics without detectable disorders of the pancreas, liver, or small intestine.

Effects of somatostatin and a somatostatin agonist on diet-induced pancreatitis in mice.

We examined the effects of somatostatin-14 and the potent somatostatin agonist (N-acetyl-[Des(Ala1,Gly2),p-Cl-Phe6,D-Trp8]-somatostatin amide) on choline deficient, ethionine enriched diet (CDED)-induced acute pancreatitis in mice. Serum amylase determinations were performed, and specimens from the pancreas were examined by light and electron microscopy. No significant beneficial effects of somatostatin or its agonist were found in this model of acute pancreatitis.