Sodium Secretion as Part of the Formation of Gastric Juice

Abstract

Experiments with Heidenhain pouch dogs showed the well known high sodium concentrations at low secretion rates and low sodium concentrations at high ones after stimulation with a continuous intravenous injection of histamine. It was previously thought that the primary secretion did not contain any sodium, but that all the sodium present in the gastric juice appeared as a result of diffusion. A more detailed analysis of the experimental data showed, however, that there is in fact sodium present also in the primary juice in the small concentration of 3–5 mEq/1. The origin of the secreting volume containing this concentration of sodium is unknown.