Source of the Hydrogen Ions in Gastric Juice

Abstract

A FLOW of water from the oxyntic cells through a membrane permeable to chlorine ions and limited in its cation permeability to hydrogen ions should result in a secretion of hydrochloric acid in accordance with the view of Hollander¹. It can be shown, however, that under such conditions the concentration of hydrogen and chlorine ions in the secretion would be of the order of 10^-3—10^-4 N, and unless we add further hypotheses, including relatively very large water reabsorption, it would seem necessary to suppose a primary concentrating of hydrogen ions within the cell. It would appear that the simplest manner in which this could be achieved is by way of an organic acid produced metabolically or in relation to metabolic activities, hydrolysis of esters and the like. From the data of Davies et al.⁴ showing that under their conditions QHCl can be greater than QO₂, the view was entertained that the organic acid might be cyclically reformed or restored³.