What is the physiological significance of the 'alkaline tide' observed after a large meal?
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Correct answer: Release of bicarbonate into the blood in exchange for chloride during HCl production
When parietal cells secrete $H^+$ into the stomach lumen, they transport $HCO_{3}^{-}$ across the basolateral membrane into the bloodstream. This efflux of bicarbonate causes a transient increase in the pH of the venous blood leaving the stomach.
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