The effect of gastrointestinal hormones on the pertechnetate imaging of ectopic gastric mucosa in experimental Meckel's diverticulum.

Abstract

Meckel's diverticula were simulated in 12 dogs by implanting vascularized patches of gastric wall onto Roux-en-Y loops of distal ileum. All animals had camera imaging studies every 10 min for 60 min, with computer acquisition following intravenous injection of 2 mCi of pertechnetate. The scintigrams were repeated following (a) subcutaneous injection of pentagastrin 15 min before injection of pertechnetate; (b) intravenous injection of glucagon 10 min after the tracer injection; (c) pretreatment with pentagastrin plus glucagon as above; and (d) pretreatment with pentagastrin plus secretin. Pentagastrin alone accelerated accumulation of the tracer but resulted in a decrease in the target-to-background ratio. Glucagon alone enhanced late gastric mucosal activity by preventing washout of the intraluminal activity. The combination of pentagastrin and glucagon enhanced visualization and kept background activity lowest. These findgings indicate a potential role for glucagon in the diagnosis of ectopic gastric mucosa in humans.