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S tudies were performed in anesthetized opossums to determine the influence of binding of circulating gastrin with a high titer gastrin antiserum on lower esophageal sphincter pressure. Gastrin antiserum or control antiserum was administered intravenously in successive doses of 0.02, 0.1, and 0.5 ml/kg on separate days. The lower esophageal sphincter pressures were measured for 1 h before and for 1 h after antiserum administration. The control serum caused no binding of opossum circulating gastrin, nor did it modify lower esophageal sphincter pressure. On the other hand, the administration of gastrin antiserum resulted in the binding of 85-90% of circulating gastrin, but it did not reduce sphincter pressure. A continuous infusion of 0.25 mug-kg-1-h-1 of synthetic human gastrin I caused a significant (P less than 0.05) increase in the sphincter pressure, a 30-fold increase in gastric acid output, and a fourfold increase in immunoreactive gastrin in the opossum blood. Prior treatment with 0.1 ml/kg of gastrin antiserum antagonized and 0.2 ml/kg of the antiserum abolished the gastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion and the stimulating effect of gastrin on lower esophageal sphincter pressure. However, neither dose of antiserum modified basal lower esophageal sphincter pressure. It is concluded that circulating gastrin may be an important determinant of basal sphincter pressure.