THE MECHANISM OF THE SECRETION OF ACID BY THE GASTRIC MUCOSA

Abstract

Bromide is secreted by the gastric mucosa, and over a wide range of concs. of bromide in the plasma the rate of secretion of bromide is of the same order as the rate of secretion of chloride. The conc. of bromide and chloride in the gastric juice is always greater than that in the plasma, and osmotic work is performed ''on the 2 ions by the same mechanism. The apparent mobilities of bromide and chloride in the cells of the gastric mucosa are directly proportional to their mobilities in water. The rate of secretion of the gastric juice and the acidity and total halide conc. are completely independent of the plasma bromide to chloride ratio. When the rate of secretion and the acidity and total halide conc. are reduced by thiocyanate inhibition the ratio of bromide to chloride in the gastric juice remains exactly the same function of the plasma bromide to chloride ratio as it is during uninhibited secretion. The mechanism concentrating and secreting bromide and chloride evidently acts only through the negative charges on the ions, and an incomplete theory of the mechanism of the secretion of hydrochloric acid is proposed.