Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine logoLink to The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine
. 1994 May-Aug;67(3-4):145–151.

Vagal regulation of acid secretion and gastrin release.

H T Debas 1, S H Carvajal 1
PMCID: PMC2588919  PMID: 7502523

Abstract

The vagus nerve plays a central role in the regulation of gastric acid secretion and gastrin release. The current understanding of the mechanisms involved in vagal regulation of acid secretion and gastrin release is reviewed. Thyrotropin-releasing hormone from the medullary raphe nuclei appears to be the central excitatory mediator of vagal action in the dorsal motor nucleus. Vagal stimulation of the parietal cell occurs through M3 cholinergic receptors and via the release of histamine and gastrin from enterochromaffin-like cells and G-cells, respectively. Somatostatin exerts a tonic basal inhibition of both the parietal cell and the G-cell. Vagal stimulation suppresses somatostatin release from delta cells, thereby "disinhibiting" these cells.

Full text

PDF

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Becker H. D., Börger H. W., Schafmayer A. Effect of vagotomy on gastrointestinal hormones. World J Surg. 1979 Sep 20;3(5):615–622. doi: 10.1007/BF01654771. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Dockray G. J., Vaillant C., Walsh J. H. The neuronal origin of bombesin-like immunoreactivity in the rat gastrointestinal tract. Neuroscience. 1979;4(11):1561–1568. doi: 10.1016/0306-4522(79)90019-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dragstedt L. R., Harper P. V., Tovee E. B., Woodward E. R. Section of the Vagus Nerves to the Stomach in the Treatment of Peptic Ulcer : Complications and End Results After Four Years. Ann Surg. 1947 Nov;126(5):687–699. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. DuVal J. W., Saffouri B., Weir G. C., Walsh J. H., Arimura A., Makhlouf G. M. Stimulation of gastrin and somatostatin secretion from the isolated rat stomach by bombesin. Am J Physiol. 1981 Sep;241(3):G242–G247. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.1981.241.3.G242. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Feldman M., Richardson C. T., Fordtran J. S. Experience with sham feeding as a test for vagotomy. Gastroenterology. 1980 Nov;79(5 Pt 1):792–795. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Feldman M., Richardson C. T., Taylor I. L., Walsh J. H. Effect of atropine on vagal release of gastrin and pancreatic polypeptide. J Clin Invest. 1979 Feb;63(2):294–298. doi: 10.1172/JCI109302. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hernandez D. E., Jennes L., Emerick S. G. Inhibition of gastric acid secretion by immunoneutralization of endogenous brain thyrotropin-releasing hormone. Brain Res. 1987 Jan 20;401(2):381–384. doi: 10.1016/0006-8993(87)91425-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Hirschowitz B. I., Fong J. Effects of antral vagotomy in dogs on gastrin and gastric secretion with various stimuli. Am J Physiol. 1990 Jun;258(6 Pt 1):G919–G925. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.1990.258.6.G919. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Håkanson R., Sundler F. Histamine-producing cells in the stomach and their role in the regulation of acid secretion. Scand J Gastroenterol Suppl. 1991;180:88–94. doi: 10.3109/00365529109093183. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Lynn R. B., Feng H. S., Han J., Brooks F. P. Gastric effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone microinjected into the dorsal vagal nucleus in cats. Life Sci. 1991;48(13):1247–1254. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(91)90519-h. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Lönroth H., Rosengren E., Lundell L. The role of the antrum and the vagus nerve in the metabolism of histamine in the human gastric mucosa. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1991 Aug;26(8):827–838. doi: 10.3109/00365529109037019. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Martindale R., Kauffman G. L., Levin S., Walsh J. H., Yamada T. Differential regulation of gastrin an somatostatin secretion from isolated perfused rat stomachs. Gastroenterology. 1982 Jul;83(1 Pt 2):240–244. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mayer E. A., Elashoff J., Mutt V., Walsh J. H. Reassessment of gastric acid inhibition by cholecystokinin and gastric inhibitory polypeptide in dogs. Gastroenterology. 1982 Nov;83(5):1047–1050. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Nishi S., Seino Y., Kitano N., Seno M., Tsuji K., Kurose T., Taminato T., Tsuda K., Yanaihara C., Yanaihara N. Effects of naloxone on basal and vagus nerve-induced secretions of GRP, gastrin, and somatostatin from the isolated perfused rat stomach. Life Sci. 1987 Oct 12;41(15):1787–1793. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(87)90697-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Nylander O., Bergqvist E., Obrink K. J. Dual inhibitory actions of somatostatin on isolated gastric glands. Acta Physiol Scand. 1985 Sep;125(1):111–119. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1985.tb07697.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Saffouri B., Weir G., Bitar K., Makhlouf G. Stimulation of gastrin secretion from the perfused rat stomach by somatostatin antiserum. Life Sci. 1979 Nov 12;25(20):1749–1753. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(79)90478-8. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Sandvik A. K., Kleveland P. M., Waldum H. L. Muscarinic M2 stimulation releases histamine in the totally isolated, vascularly perfused rat stomach. Scand J Gastroenterol. 1988 Nov;23(9):1049–1056. doi: 10.3109/00365528809090168. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Sandvik A. K., Waldum H. L. CCK-B (gastrin) receptor regulates gastric histamine release and acid secretion. Am J Physiol. 1991 Jun;260(6 Pt 1):G925–G928. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.1991.260.6.G925. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Schubert M. L., Edwards N. F., Arimura A., Makhlouf G. M. Paracrine regulation of gastric acid secretion by fundic somatostatin. Am J Physiol. 1987 Apr;252(4 Pt 1):G485–G490. doi: 10.1152/ajpgi.1987.252.4.G485. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Schubert M. L. The effect of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide on gastric acid secretion is predominantly mediated by somatostatin. Gastroenterology. 1991 May;100(5 Pt 1):1195–1200. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Taché Y., Yang H., Yoneda M. Vagal regulation of gastric function involves thyrotropin-releasing hormone in the medullary raphe nuclei and dorsal vagal complex. Digestion. 1993;54(2):65–72. doi: 10.1159/000201015. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Weigert N., Madaus S., Alexiou C., Schepp W., Li Y., Coy D. H., Classen M., Schusdziarra V. Effect of bombesin antagonist D-Phe6-BN(6-13)OMe on vagally induced gastrin release from perfused rat stomach. Life Sci. 1993;52(8):725–732. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(93)90234-t. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Wilkes J. M., Kajimura M., Scott D. R., Hersey S. J., Sachs G. Muscarinic responses of gastric parietal cells. J Membr Biol. 1991 Jun;122(2):97–110. doi: 10.1007/BF01872634. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine are provided here courtesy of Yale Journal of Biology and Medicine

RESOURCES