Abstract
Experiments were conducted on the secretion of gastric juice by Pavlov gastric pouch dogs in response to diets in which the protein was made the variable of interest. These diets were adequate for maintenance and differed only with respect to the kind and amount of protein present. Secretion was followed for 9 hours subsequent to feeding. Gastric juice samples were examined for free and combined acid by titration, chlorides by the method of Van Slyke, 1 and peptic activity by the procedure of Gilman and Cowgill. 2
The following proteins were tested: commercial casein (2 levels of concentration in the diet), meat residue∗∗ (2 levels), lactalbumin,† hemoglobin, mixed serum proteins, coagulated egg white, edestin, and mixed proteins as combined in a commercial dog food.
Total volumes of gastric juice secreted and rate of secretion varied widely, but, with a given protein, the total amount secreted was roughly proportional to the percentage of protein in the diet. Titratable acidities followed closely the rate of secretion as has been described by Pavlov 3 and many others. Total chloride concentrations were constant within the range of about 150 to 160 milli-equivalents per liter, thus confirming the observations of Gamble and Mclver, 4 of MacLean and others, 5 and of Gilman. 6
The present results are not directly comparable with those of Pavlov 3 because of differences in methods of estimation and calculation. It is interesting, however, to note that the observations made in this study differ from those of Pavlov in that the total pepsin secreted per hour (the product of the volume of juice in cubic centimeters and the peptic activity in units) maintained a remarkably constant value for each dog after the first hour of the post-prandial period.
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