RESUMO
The aims of the present study were to determine in 14 healthy subjects and 14 duodenal ulcer patients the reproducibility of the acid secretory response to a modified sham-feeding test and the effect on this response of intrajejunal hypertonic glucose instillation, in order to evaluate the possibility of the existence of a defective inhibition of the cephalic phase of gastric acid secretion in duodenal ulcer disease. The reproducibility of the acid secretory response to a modified sham-feeding test was demonstrated in both groups in two consecutive tests. The hypertonic glucose instillation produced a significant inhibition of the acid secretory response to modified sham feeding only in the healthy subjects, suggesting that duodenal ulcer patients may have a defective mechanism of acid inhibition during vagal stimulation by modified sham feeding. Non-significant changes were observed in plasma gastrin and pancreatic glucagon levels.