The Developmental Physiology of the Stomach: Possible Contributions to the Regulatory Disturbances of Duodenal Ulcer Disease

Abstract Several different disturbances in the regulation of acid secretion have been found in persons with duodenal ulcer disease (DU). This paper examines the possibility that some of these regulatory disturbances might arise during postnatal development. The regulation of acid secretion is not fixed in adult form at birth, in either animals or humans. Instead, these regulatory processes continue to change during postnatal development. Examples are developmental changes in the responsiveness of the stomach to parietal cell stimulants and developmental increases and decreases in basal and maximal acid output. The unfolding of these developmental changes requires complex regulatory adjustments. It is possible that untoward environmental circumstances could induce “errors” in these regulated changes or adjustments. Some errors might persist as disturbances in the regulation of acid secretion seen in patients with DU.