Gastric acid secretion is precisely regulated by neural (acetylcholine), hormonal (gastrin),
and paracrine (histamine; somatostatin) mechanisms. The stimulatory effect of acetylcholine
and gastrin is mediated via increase in cytosolic calcium, whereas that of histamine is
mediated via activation of adenylate cyclase and generation of cAMP. Potentiation between
histamine and either gastrin or acetylcholine may reflect postreceptor interaction between
the distinct pathways and/or the ability of gastrin and acetylcholine to release histamine from …