Relationship between gastric secretion and behavior in chronic fistula rats

¹ Fels Research Institute, Temple University School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Variations in several parameters of basal gastric secretion and in the behavior index determined in arbitrary rank units were studied in three groups of rats with chronic gastric fistula. There was an impressive similarity between the groups particularly in the patterns of variation during the 6 hr of observation. Volume and outputs of acid, pepsin, and chloride tended to decrease; a negative linear regression on hours was always significant but significant concave up parabolas often better fitted the data. Concentrations of acid and chloride increased significantly during an average experiment either linearly or in conformity with concave down parabolas. Lower concentrations of acid and chloride occurred concomitant with increases in volume and were considered due to salivary contamination associated with a higher behavior index. All above variations in secretion exhibited a significant linear correlation with variations in behavior index. Pepsin concentrations tended to decrease but were not significantly associated with behavior index. As a rule, there were significant differences among animals within groups, but none among the means of replicate experiments.