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Enterochromaffin-like cells in the rat stomach: effect of depletion. A chemical, histochemical and electron-microscopic study

Andersson, K ; Chen, D ; Håkanson, Rolf LU and Sundler, Frank LU (1992) In Cell and Tissue Research 270(1). p.7-13
Abstract
In the rat, gastric histamine is stored predominantly in the enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells, which are located basally in the oxyntic mucosa. The functional significance of histamine in the ECL cells is a matter of speculation. In this study the effect of depletion of histamine on the properties and ultrastructure of the ECL cells was examined. Histamine synthesis was inhibited with alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (3 mg.kg-1.h-1) given via osmotic minipumps over a period of 24 h. The treatment reduced the histidine decarboxylase activity (approximately 20% remaining) and histamine concentration (less than 20% remaining) in the oxyntic mucosa, as well as the intensity of histamine- and chromogranin A-immunostaining in the ECL cells, compared... (More)
In the rat, gastric histamine is stored predominantly in the enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells, which are located basally in the oxyntic mucosa. The functional significance of histamine in the ECL cells is a matter of speculation. In this study the effect of depletion of histamine on the properties and ultrastructure of the ECL cells was examined. Histamine synthesis was inhibited with alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (3 mg.kg-1.h-1) given via osmotic minipumps over a period of 24 h. The treatment reduced the histidine decarboxylase activity (approximately 20% remaining) and histamine concentration (less than 20% remaining) in the oxyntic mucosa, as well as the intensity of histamine- and chromogranin A-immunostaining in the ECL cells, compared to control rats. The cytoplasmic (secretory) granules/vesicles were greatly reduced in number and size following alpha-fluoromethylhistidine administration. The histamine immunostaining of the mast cells, which occurs at the mucosal surface and in the submucosa, appeared unaffected. We conclude that ECL cell histamine accounts for at least 80% of the total oxyntic mucosal histamine in the rat and that it represents a more mobile pool than mast cell histamine. The reduction in the number and size of the ECL cell granules/vesicles following histamine depletion is in accord with the idea that they represent the storage site for histamine. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
in
Cell and Tissue Research
volume
270
issue
1
pages
7 - 13
publisher
Springer
external identifiers
  • scopus:0026661866
ISSN
1432-0878
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
10389537-47f0-4cae-9314-d802869e4486 (old id 30169)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:19:07
date last changed
2021-01-03 03:29:23
@article{10389537-47f0-4cae-9314-d802869e4486,
  abstract     = {{In the rat, gastric histamine is stored predominantly in the enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells, which are located basally in the oxyntic mucosa. The functional significance of histamine in the ECL cells is a matter of speculation. In this study the effect of depletion of histamine on the properties and ultrastructure of the ECL cells was examined. Histamine synthesis was inhibited with alpha-fluoromethylhistidine (3 mg.kg-1.h-1) given via osmotic minipumps over a period of 24 h. The treatment reduced the histidine decarboxylase activity (approximately 20% remaining) and histamine concentration (less than 20% remaining) in the oxyntic mucosa, as well as the intensity of histamine- and chromogranin A-immunostaining in the ECL cells, compared to control rats. The cytoplasmic (secretory) granules/vesicles were greatly reduced in number and size following alpha-fluoromethylhistidine administration. The histamine immunostaining of the mast cells, which occurs at the mucosal surface and in the submucosa, appeared unaffected. We conclude that ECL cell histamine accounts for at least 80% of the total oxyntic mucosal histamine in the rat and that it represents a more mobile pool than mast cell histamine. The reduction in the number and size of the ECL cell granules/vesicles following histamine depletion is in accord with the idea that they represent the storage site for histamine.}},
  author       = {{Andersson, K and Chen, D and Håkanson, Rolf and Sundler, Frank}},
  issn         = {{1432-0878}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{1}},
  pages        = {{7--13}},
  publisher    = {{Springer}},
  series       = {{Cell and Tissue Research}},
  title        = {{Enterochromaffin-like cells in the rat stomach: effect of depletion. A chemical, histochemical and electron-microscopic study}},
  volume       = {{270}},
  year         = {{1992}},
}