The effect of exercise, smoking and propranolol on serum gastrin in patients with duodenal ulcer and in vagotomized subjects

Abstract

Serum gastrin was measured during exercise, during smoking and after propranolol to elucidate the role of plasma adrenaline in the regulation of gastrin secretion in conditions other than hypoglycemia. Most of the experiments were performed in patients with duodenal ulcer and in vagotomized patients. The threshold level of adrenaline-induced gastrin release has previously been demonstrated to be reduced in these patients. Beef-meal stimulated gastrin secretion was not influenced by a 30 min period of mild physical exercise. Fasting serum gastrin concentration increased approximately 40% in normal subjects at exhaustion during prolonged treadmill exercise (fifteen-fold increase in plasma adrenaline) and 40% in vagotomized patients at the end of a 60 min period of mild physical exercise (three-fold increase in plasma adrenaline). In both groups of subjects the observed rise in serum gastrin agreed favourably with the rise which could be expected according to the relationship between serum gastrin and plasma adrenaline as previously determined during i.v. infusion of adrenaline in various doses. Serum gastrin increased 16% during smoking, less than would normally be expected from the simultaneous rise in plasma adrenaline. 24 h of treatment of vagotomized patients with a small oral dose of propranolol decreased fasting serum gastrin concentration by 40%. It is concluded that plasma adrenaline plays a role in the regulation of gastrin secretion in conditions other than hypoglycemia viz. during exercise and in patients with duodenal ulcer during both basal conditions and smoking.