Effect of histamine on intestinal fluid secretion in the dog

Abstract

Intra-arterial infusion of histamine into the small intestine caused about a 1-fold increase of blood flow, edema of the intestinal tissues and mesentery and produced a copious secretion of fluid. The jejunal secretions had an ionic composition similar to that of plasma, whereas ileal secretions contained high concentrations of HCO3- with relative low concentrations of Cl-. The secretions contained protein (1.5 .+-. 0.2 g/100 ml, range 0.5-2.4) with a similar electrophoretic pattern of plasma protein. When lissamine green was present in the blood, it also appeared in the secretion to a considerable concentration. A major mechanism of fluid secretion by the action of histamine apparently involves a filtration process across the mucosal epithelium by the increased tissue fluid pressure due to extensive capillary leak.