The Decrease of Gastric Secretion With Advancing Years: Further Observations

Abstract

In previous papers we (1) and others (2) have shown that gastric secretion decreases with advancing years. This finding, however, has been based on averages of many examinations in different people and no accurate information is available as to what happens in the individual. Does a gradual decline of secretion take place in everyone or do some people undergo an abrupt defection, while others preserve their gastric juice unchanged into old age? In the attempt to answer these questions we previously reported the results of standard histamine tests repeated in the same individuals after an interval of five years (3). The findings were of interest but, unfortunately, the five-year period appears to have been too brief to yield conclusive results. Recently it has been possible to re-examine five essentially normal people whose gastric secretions were explored over ten years ago. The data from these tests, which seem much more significant than those of the previous series, are herewith presented. PROCEDUREThe procedure was as far as possible a duplication of the original examination. The subjects were in the ward overnight and were under basal conditions. The standard histamine test used by us for many years was employed. The dose of histamine was the same on successive tests and all examinations were made by the writer. The total secretions were collected over successive tenminute periods by continuous aspiration, and in the charts " volume " refers to the amount of such ten-minute yields. " Acidity" refers to the " total " acidity of successive specimens measured in the usual way. RESULTS

Characterization of the Human Gastric Fluid Proteome Reveals Distinct pH-Dependent Protein Profiles: Implications for Biomarker Studies

“…For example, a study of 1775 normal subjects revealed that 31.7% had gastric fluid pH ≥4.1 . Similar findings were also reported in recent studies. , At pH 4 or higher, the proteolytic activity of most gastric proteases is markedly diminished. , Furthermore, the gastric fluid pH of normal individuals may change with age, − in response to drugs, microbial infections, and the functional state of the gastric mucosa . Thus, the normal gastric fluid proteome is both dynamic and complex but almost nothing is known about it at present.…”

Basal Gastric Secretion as a Clinical Test of Gastric Function With Special Reference to Peptic Ulcer

“…different people and the fact that basal acidity may be as high as 100 or more. As with histamine secretion (19) a decrease in acidity with advancing years is evident, the average total acidity for the three age groups of below 40, 40 to 60, and above 60 being 56.5, 47.6 and 26.…”