Background: Diabetes mellitus is one of the most common endocrine diseases and affects most body organs. It affects gastric acid secretion, but this effect has not been fully understood. As the effects of diabetes on gastric pepsin secretion has not been proved yet, in this experimental study basal and distension-stimulated acid and pepsin secretions of diabetic and non-diabetic rats have been compared.
Material and methods: Female N-Mari rats weighing 200-250 g were used. Diabetic state was induced by intraperitoneal injection of 75 mg/kg streptozotocin. Animals were anaesthetized by the interaperitoneal injection of 60 mg/kg thiopental sodium. Then tracheostomy and laparotomy were done and gastric secretions were collected by a cannula entered via duodenum. Gastric distention induce by 1.5 ml normal saline per each 100g of body weight in stomach. Acid and pepsin were measured by titration and Anson's method, respectively.
Results: Basal gastric secretions were similar in diabetic and non-diabetic animals. Distention-stimulated acid secretions in diabetic and non-diabetic rats were 3.24 +/- 0.16 and 8.05 +/- 0.21 micromol/15 min, respectively, which were significantly different (P = 0.00001). Distention-induced pepsin secretion in diabetic and non diabetic rats were 3.16 +/- 0.13 and 5.24 +/- 0.16 microg/15min, respectively, which were significantly different (P = 0.00001).
Conclusion: In this study the stomach of diabetic animals showed less reaction to distention, which may be due to the reduction of acid and pepsin secretary cells, reduction of the function of the cells, gastric atrophy or gastric vagus neuropathy. These probabilities need to be examined.