Biliary and pancreatic secretions influence experimental duodenal ulcer without affecting gastric secretion in the rat

The effect of the absence of biliary and/or pancreatic secretions in the duodenum or the enhanced presence of bile at the proximal duodenum on the incidence, severity, number, and location of cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcers was investigated in the rat. Cysteamine produced ulcers on the anterior wall of the duodenum in 75% and on the posterior wall (kissing ulcers) in 50% of the animals. Diversion of biliary and/or pancreatic secretions from the duodenum increased both the severity and the incidence of the posterior duodenal ulcers. Diversion of bile to the proximal duodenum, on the other hand, decreased the severity as well as the incidence of the anterior duodenal ulcers. Mortality in rats receiving cysteamine correlated with the severity of ulcers. Taurocholic acid at nontoxic doses given subcutaneously or orally to nonoperated rats and rats which had bile diverted to the proximal duodenum aggravated the cysteamine-caused duodenal ulcers. Neither proximal nor distal diversion of bile had a major effect on gastric secretion of acid and pepsin in normal or cysteamine-treated rats. We conclude that both bile and pancreatic secretions may directly influence the development of cysteamine-induced duodenal ulcers in the rat.These studies were supported in part by a grant (AM25229) and Research Career Development Award (AM00600) to S. Szabo from NIH and U.S. Public Health Service.