Betazole (also known as ametazole) is a histamine
H2 receptoragonist. Betazole hydrochloride is known as gastramine and histalog.
It has been used as a gastric stimulant to test for maximal production of
gastric secretion activity.[1] The test can be used in diagnosis of diseases such as
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome where there is excess acid production, in this case driven by over production of
gastrin. The volume of acid secretion is measured following administration of betazole, diagnosis being secretion greater than 60% of the maximal acid secretion following betazole stimulation. This procedure can lead to complications and should be avoided in subjects with
coronary artery disease.[2] It is also used in diagnosis of
gastritis in association with a test for
secretin activity.
Betazole is used as a stimulant in preference to histamine because of its specificity for the
H2 receptor and its advantage of not generating the undesirable side effects that histamine would induce. It therefore does not require concomitant use of antihistaminic compounds to block the actions of histamine at other histamine receptor types.
It is used to test the effectiveness of H2 receptor blocking drugs such as
nizatidine.[3]
References
^Wruble LD Cummins AJ Goldenberg J Schapiro H (1967). "The effect of intravenous histalog on gastric secretion in man". Digestive Diseases and Sciences. 12 (11): 1087–1090.
doi:
10.1007/BF02233873.
PMID6057052.
S2CID8990827.
^Stoller JL Holubitsky IB Harrison RC Munro AI (1970). "Complications of the histalog test of gastric acid secretion". Digestive Diseases and Sciences. 15 (7): 647–651.
doi:
10.1007/BF02236024.
PMID4951403.
S2CID37678802.
^Hammond JB, Offen WW (1988). "Effect of nizatidine and cimetidine on betazole-stimulated gastric secretion of normal subjects: comparison of effects on acid, water, and pepsin". Am J Gastroenterol. 83 (1): 32–6.
PMID2892392.