Fish oil reduces gastric acid secretion

Background: The aim of the present investigation was to study gastric acid secretion and release of gastrin, cholecystokinin (CCK), and secretin durin g intraduodenal perfusion of either fish oil or trioleate. Methods: Seven h ealthy volunteers were stimulated on two separate days in random order with intraduodenal perfusates of either fish oil or trioleate. Results: Intrave nous infusion with gastrin-17 was used as a background stimulation in doses mimicking a postprandial situation (39.9 +/- 4.8 pmol/l fish oil and 43.6 +/- 3.8 pmol/l trioleate). Gastric acid secretion increased significantly f rom a basal level of 0.7 +/- 0.1 meq/15 min to 4.0 +/- 0.6 meq/15 min (P < 0.05) before perfusion of fish oil, which reduced gastric acid secretion to 1.9 +/- 0.4 meq/15 min (P < 0.01). After termination of fish oil perfusion gastric acid secretion increased to preperfusion concentrations (P < 0.01) . Perfusion of trioleate did not influence gastric acid secretion. Plasma c oncentrations of CCK rose significantly during perfusion of fish oil (from 2.8 +/- 0.6pmol/l to 4.4 +/- 0.7pmol/l, P < 0.01), whereas trioleate only t ended to increase CCK concentrations, plasma concentrations of secretin did not change during perfusion of fish oil; however, concentrations were sign ificantly lower during and after perfusion of trioleate (P < 0.01). Conclus ion: The present study shows that intraduodenal perfusion of fish oil is as sociated with a significant reduction of the gastric acid secretion stimula ted by gastrin in healthy humans.