Development of Gastric Ulcers and Decrease in Reducing Power of Adrenals Following Injection of Bile Salts

Abstract

Sellards 1 reported the development of acute gastric ulcers in guinea pigs following intraperitoneal bile salt injection. His observations have been confirmed and extended by Tashiro and coworkers. 2 We injected approximately 40 pigs with varying amounts of bile salts (Fairchilds). The expected individual variations in susceptibility were observed, but injections of 0.1 gm. or more generally caused death and extensive ulceration of the gastric mucosa. The latter was usually so marked that the site of the ulcers could be plainly observed from the outer surface of the stomach, appearing as thin, semi-transparent areas. In 3 animals perforation occurred, gastric contents being found in the peritoneal cavity at autopsy.

Szent-Gyorgyi 3 reported the darkening of the adrenal cortex when subjected to a silver nitrate solution. Harris and Ray 4 and Siehrs and Miller 5 report that this does not occur in guinea pigs on a scorbutic diet. When we attempted to stain, with silver nitrate, the adrenals of pigs previously injected with bile salts, darkening was slight or absent. Adrenals of apparently normal pigs may, however, not stain with silver nitrate. Gough and Zilva 6 report that in pigs given 10 cc. of decitrated lemon juice daily for a period of 3 months the adrenals did not. stain, although at autopsy no abnormalities were observed. We kept 12 pigs on a diet of oats, an occasional carrot, and 2 cc. of orange juice daily for one week. The cortex of the adrenals did not stain with silver nitrate. The absence of this staining reaction may merely indicate an insufficient excess of vitamin C in the diet to allow for its deposition in the adrenal. Therefore, in the remaining experiments, a diet abundant in vitamin C was administered, the pigs receiving oats, fresh carrots and cabbage, and, in addition, 4 cc. of orange juice daily for a period of 3 weeks prior to injection.