Pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid output and plasma enteroglucagon in acarbose-treated rats.
Although the purified porcine enteroglucagons glicentin and oxyntomodulin inhibit pentagastrin-stimulated gastrin acid secretion when given parenterally to rats, it is not known whether the postprandial rise in endogenous enteroglucagons is capable of exerting a similar effect. We have used the alpha-glucosidase inhibitor acarbose in combination with a sucrose- and starch-rich semisynthetic diet over 8 days to bring about a mean increase of 89 pmol/l in the fasting plasma enteroglucagon concentration in rats, without significantly affecting plasma gastrin concentrations. There was no significant suppression of pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion in the acarbose-treated rats, suggesting that endogenous enteroglucagons do not act as physiological inhibitors of gastric acid secretion.