Postmortal formation of acid in the gastric mucosa

✍ Scribed by Irving, Laurence

• Publisher: Wiley (John Wiley & Sons)
• Year: 1932
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 394 KB
• Volume: 2
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0095-9898
• DOI: 10.1002/jcp.1030020204

✦ Synopsis

While observations were being made on the CO, content of the gastric: mucosa of the dog, as described in the preceding paper, it was evident that there was a gradual loss of CO, from the excised tissue. The loss of CO, was rapid in air o r in saline, and could not be checked by immersion in saline saturated with 6 per cent CO,. Evidently the loss was due to escape by diffusion, but it was also accelerated by the formation of acid in the tissue. These observations were confirmed when it was found that the loss of CO, could not be prevented by equilibration with CO, mixtures at tensions up to 90 mm. An investigation of the pH of the mucosa also showed the development of postmortal acidity.

These observations of postmortal acid production suggested that the extent and nature of the reaction should be investigated, for many vital reactions have been analyzed by examining the postmortal disintegration of the systems involved. There is also a particular interest attached to the study of the acid-base equilibrium in the gastric mucosa on account of its ability to secrete strong hydrochloric acid. The secretion of strong acid is restricted to the fundic mucosa, and this distinction of function allows for a convenient comparison with thle pyloric mucosa, which is adjacent and similar in structure,, but lacks the ability to secrete strong acid.

The exact time at which death of the cells of the mucosa occurs is not necessarily coincident with the moment of exci-