EDITORIAL SYNOPSIS The effect of intravenous secretin on broth-stimulated gastric secretion was studied in 10 adult subjects. Secretin significantly inhibited gastric acid concentration and output for at least 30 minutes following administration. These results were not due to neutralization by reflux of pancreatic juice since the volume of gastric aspirate and the combined acid concentration were less with secretin than during the control study. No difference was observed between the degree of inhibition of gastric secretion of two different preparations of secretin. These findings in humans are similar to those reported in dogs and indicate that secretin may have a physiological role in inhibiting gastric secretion.

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A patients with marked chronic hypokalemia (potassium, 1.7 to 2;3 meg/litre) and sodium depletion secondary to lazative abuse and dietary inadequacy was studied with respect to the renin-aldosterone system during sequential potassium and potassium-plus-sodium replacement. Extreme hyperreninemia of 20 Goldblatt units X 10-minus 4 was reduced to 0.9 with potassium replacement alone. Aldosteron excretion (15.8 mug/24 h) was initially low for a sodium-deprived state and high for a potassium-deprived state; it increased with potassium administration, but this rise was opposed by decreases in renin secretion induced by potassium and sodium administration. The results provide clinical confirmation of a dual effect of potassium on aldosterone secretion, with renin as a mediator.