Effects of amidated gastrin and glycine-extended gastrin on cell proliferation and crypt fission in parenterally and orally fed rats.
OBJECTIVE
It has been suggested that processing variants of gastrin, such as glycine-extended gastrin (G17-Gly), are enterotrophic to the colon.


METHODS
Cell proliferation and crypt branching were studied in total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and orally fed rats after infusion of G17-Gly or gastrin-17.


RESULTS
Gastrin produced an increase in the weight of the stomach and small intestine and a marked proliferative action on the proximal small intestine, which diminished distally. No proliferative effects of gastrin were seen in the colon. G17-Gly was associated with a small, but significant, increase in colonic weight but had little effect on cell proliferation, except in the gastric fundus. In the distal colon, G17-Gly was associated with a significant decrease in proliferation. Neither agent affected crypt branching in the small intestine or colon, but both proliferation and branching were significantly decreased by TPN.


CONCLUSIONS
Gastrin was trophic to the stomach and the proximal small intestine but not the colon. G17-Gly had only modest proliferative actions on the intestinal epithelium in this study.
FitzGerald
Anthony J
AJ
Department of Histopathology, Imperial College School of Medicine, Hammersmith Hospital, London, UK.
Ghatei
Mohammad A
MA
Mandir
Nikki
N
Bloom
Steven R
SR
Iversen
Leslie
L
Goodlad
Robert A
RA
D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects*; D003106:Colon / Q000187:drug effects; D005755:Gastrins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006728:Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D010289:Parenteral Nutrition, Total; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013270:Stomach / Q000187:drug effects
D005755:Gastrins; D006728:Hormones; C086854:glycine-extended gastrin 17; C013550:gastrin 17