The “divided stomach”—A model for separate acid and alkali collection in the pig

Bile duct ligation (BDL) in the pig results uniformly in fatal oesophago-gastric ulceration which appears to be related to hypersecretion of acid. The presence of bile in normal porcine gastric juice may interfere with studies of acid secretion. The present studies were conducted in pigs with the stomach divided into two separate pouches (proximal and antral) which allowed individual collection of acid or alkali secretion. In normal pigs, division of the stomach resulted in a 30–50% decrease in secretion, rather than any increase in measureable acid. In BDL pigs, there was an 8- to 15-fold increase in alkali collection by antral pouches which may have been in response to acid hypersecretion, or merely duodenal or pancreatic juice reflux. No normal pigs with divided stomachs developed significant ulceration suggesting that such ulcers were not related to exclusion of bile from the stomach. It is proposed that a total gastric fistula may be used in the pig for studies of acid secretion, and that the model with divided stomach may be used for assessment of the effects of secretagogues or hormones upon individual acid or alkali secretion.