Fasting gastric contents in the spider monkey

¹ Department of Physiology, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Five spider monkeys (ateles) were equipped with chronic gastric fistulae of a modified Thomas type. After an 18-hour fast, gastric contents were collected by dependent drainage with the animals restrained in a chair for 18 experiments and loose in their cages during 17 experiments. Restraint in the chair significantly decreased the acidity of one monkey's gastric contents. Single subcutaneous injections of 0.13–0.27 mg histamine base/kg body weight were given hourly and juice was collected during a 4-hour period. Total acid and pepsin outputs were increased in all 12 experiments. Approximately 2 u of insulin/kg body weight were injected intravenously to produce hypoglycemia. Gastric content was collected after the insulin injection for 3 hours 15 experiments and for 5 hours in 9 experiments. Total acid and pepsin outputs were increased in all experiments, but there was significant variation in the acid response in all the monkeys during the fourth and fifth hours following the insulin injection. These results may have particular significance for studies of nervous control of gastric content in man.

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