Effect of cimetidine on pentagastrin-stimulated gastric secretion before and after proximal gastric vagotomy for duodenal ulcer

Abstract

Nine patients with duodenal ulcer were studied before and 2--3 months after proximal gastric vagotomy (PGV). Infustion or cimetidine, 1.2 mg.kg-1h-1, reduced mean gastric acid output, in response to infusion of 1.5 microgram.kg-1h-1 of pentagastrin, by, on an average, 79.4% before and 79.1% after vagotomy. The corresponding values for pepsin output were 66.5% before and 77.0% after the operation. The values were not statistically different. Thus, in terms of per cent inhibition, cimetidine was similarly effective before and after PGV. No correlation was found between per cent reduction of acic output by vagotomy and by cimetidine. The effect of the drug was added to that of the vagotomy. Patients with relapse ulcer after vagotomy are therefore interesting candidates for cimetidine treatment.