The mechanism of acid secretion by gastric mucosa

Abstract

The mechanism of acid secretion by gastric mucosa has been the subject of much experimentation in recent years. Examinations in this field have been prompted by an idea which is generally known as the redox theory of acid secretion. This theory is discussed with particular reference to the value of the ratio between acid secretion and the associated oxygen uptake by gastric mucosa. The redox theory has two interesting consequences. Firstly, it implies a spatial separation of the hydrogen and hydroxyl ions produced in the respiratory chain. Secondly, it leads to the view that the secretion of hydrogen ions, unlike other active transport processes, does not necessarily require phosphate-bond energy. In summary, it would seem that separation of hydrogen and hydroxyl ions produced in the respiratory metabolism of the oxyntic cell is a basic feature of the mechanism of acid secretion by gastric mucosa. However, the exact source and site of origin of the hydrogen ions in the oxyntic cell remain to be found.