Urease in the Gastric Mucosa and its Increase after a Meat Diet, Soya Bean Flour Diet or Urogastrone Injections

Abstract

THERE is good reason for believing that gastric hydrochloric acid is neutralized by ammonia formed most probably by urease from circulating urea. This enzyme is present in the mucosa. This mechanism was first noted by Luck¹ and by Luck and Seth² in the dog and cat, and Linderstrøm-Lang and Ohlsen³ noted also that in the dog the urease was most potent in the superficial rather than the deep mucosa. Furthermore, Linderstrøm-Lang and Ohlsen³ held that urease was not present in all animals; for example, they held there was none present in the pig. From personal work we have shown that this ferment exists in at least man, dog, cat, rabbit, pig and rat. The amount in the first three species of animal appears to be much greater than in the latter three. Rigoni⁴ had shown its presence in man, and, like Linderstrøm-Lang and Ohlsen, had speculated on its possible significance.