As a part of serial studies on the adrenal cortex hormones, the author made an attempt to learn hormonal influence of adrenal cortex on gastric secretion by the administration of cortisone. DOCA, progesterone and other extracts of the adrenal cortex thought to have definite relation with adrenocortical function in rabbits with total pouches and in dogs with Pavlov & Heidenhain pouches.
The following conclusions have been obtained.
1) By the injection of 50mg. of cortisone acetate and adrenocortical extracts in the rabbits with a total pouch, there was an increase of gastric secretion 3 hours after injection, reaching a peak 3 to 6 hours after administration.
The increased gastric secretion was accompanied by a concomitant increase of total acidity with the appearance of free hydrochloric acid, which failed to appear in the control group(contrast experiment). After the injection of cortisone, the gastric secretion increased by 41%, and total acidity by 35% more or less similar results were obtained by injection of the adrenocortical extracts, the increase of the gastric secretion being 35% and total acidity 27.5%.
Special attention is called to the observation that. rabbits with a total ´pouch and with a vagotomy matched well those without vagotomy in the increased gastric secretion (33.3%) and total acidity (31%) with no appreciable time difference compared with the former.
2) In dogs with Pavlov & Heidenhain pouches that received injection of 30 mg. of progesterone, 5mg. of DOCA and 150mg. of cortisone acetate, it was observed, as in rabbits with a total pouch, that the increase of the gastric secretion occurred 3 hours after injection with a maximum value in from 3 to 6 hours after administration.
Going into detail, in the dogs with Pavlov pouches, the injection of progesterone caused increase of the gastric secretion of 11% free hydrochloric acid of 12.5% and the total acidity of 12.2%; the injection of DOCA resulted in the increase of the above value by 17.2%, 18% and 19.5% respectively; and lastly the injection of cortisone caused an increase of 38.8%, 34% and 35.5% respectively. The cortisone was the most pronounced of the three in its effects.
In dogs with Heidenhain pouches, the injection of progesterone brought about an increase of gastric secretion by 12.5%, and of the total acidity of 12.5%, the injection of DOCA also caused increased gastric secretion and total acidity of 18.7%, 16.7% respectively, whereat free hydrochloric acid was lacking in both.´ The administration of cortisone saw a 37.5% increase f the gastric secretion. 38.5% increase of the total acidity and the appearance of free hydrochloric acid which was not the case with the former two.
In the case of Heidenhain pouches with complete severance of it´s vagus nerve, there was a similar elevation of the gastric secretion and total acidity as in the cases ?.with Pavlov pouch. It is particularly noteworthy that cortisone is capable of effecting the appearance of free hydrochloric acid in addition. This phenomenon was lacking in the contrast experiment. .
3) In view of the above conclusions, it seems probable that the adrenocortical hormones have stimulative action on gastric secretion, and is a direct effect upon the gastric glands without mediation of the vagus nerve necessarily. Besides cortisone, DOCA and progesterone appear to be in possession of a similar action by and large.
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