Effect of tea on gastric acid secretion.

The gastric acid response to a 200-ml cup of tea was measured by in situ titration in 36 patients with duodenal ulcer (DU) and 56 without duodenal ulcer (controls). Tea resulted in an acid secretory response which was almost equal to that after a maximal dose (0.04 mg/kg) of histamine. The effect of tea was mainly due to its local chemical action on gastric mucosa. Tea without milk and sugar resulted in an acid response higher than that evoked by a maximal dose of histamine. The concentration of tea brew that had the greatest effect on gastric acid secretion was 15 g/200 ml, which was three times as much as that in a palatable cup of tea. Tea is a potent stimulant of gastric acid, and this can be reduced by adding milk and sugar.

Pharmacokinetics of progesterone after its administration to ovariectomized rhesus monkeys by injection, infusion, or nasal spraying.

The pharmacokinetics of progesterone (dose: 10 microgram per animal) were studied in blood and cerebrospinal fluid of adult ovariectomized rhesus monkeys after the administration of the steroid as an intravenous injection, intravenous infusion (duration of infusion: 10 min), or nasal spray. The bioavailability of progesterone, in terms of area under the time--concentration curve and the maximal concentration in the two body fluids, was significantly higher when the steroid was infused or sprayed intranasally than when it was injected intravenously. The clearance of the steroid from the serum, as estimated by its elimination rate constant, elimination half-life, and total body clearance, did not differ for the three methods of administration. These findings suggest that the bioavailability of progesterone is enhanced by extending the duration over which the steroid is delivered into the hemic circulation.