METHOD FOR THE BIOASSAY OF ANTISECRETORY ACTIVITY IN THE CONSCIOUS RAT WITH ACUTE GASTRIC FISTULA - STUDIES WITH CIMETIDINE, SOMATOSTATIN, AND THE PROSTAGLANDIN-E2 ANALOG RO 21-6937

A model consisting of an acute gastric fistula has been developed for the bioassay of gastric secretory activity in conscious rats. The gastric secretions are collected by gravity via a cannula in the most dependent site of the glandular stomach. The biliary and pancreatic secretions are collected by means of a catheter in the common bile duct. Hydration is maintained by intravenous infusion of saline. This method is ultrasensitive, since it can detect changes in the hydrogen ion concentration in gastric secretions elicited by microgram quantities of inhibitory compounds. The usefulness of this biological preparation is illustrated in studies with compounds of very different chemical structure, such as cimetidine, somatostatin, and the prostaglandin E2 analog Ro 21-6937/000. These compounds are all effective inhibitors of basal acid secretory activity in the rat, but the PGE2 analog is considerably more potent than either somatostatin or cimetidine. © 1979.