Effects of orally-administered pirenzepine and propantheline bromide on food-stimulated gastric acid secretion, serum gastrin concentration, salivary flow and heart rate were compared in 10 duodenal ulcer patients in a placebo-controlled, double-blind study. Pirenzepine inhibited acid secretion by 25, 36 and 44% at doses of 50, 100, and 150 mg, respectively, while propantheline inhibited acid secretion by 32 and 41% at doses of 15 and 45 mg, respectively. None of the doses of pirenzepine affected food-stimulated serum gastrin concentrations, whereas 45 mg propantheline increased serum gastrin concentration significantly above placebo control. Enhancement of gastrin release by propantheline was not due to its antisecretory effect since intragastric pH after the meal was held constant at 5.0 by intragastric titration in vivo. Pirenzepine had no significant effect on heart rate and little or no inhibitory effect on salivary volume, depending on the dose administered. By contrast, both doses of propantheline increased heart rate and reduced salivary volume significantly (P less than 0.05). Thus, pirenzepine and propantheline in the doses administered inhibited acid secretion to approximately the same extent but pirenzepine had fewer effects on other organs.