Distribution of ghrelin-immunoreactive cells in human gastric mucosa: comparison with that of parietal cells.
BACKGROUND
Ghrelin is a novel 28-amino-acid peptide isolated from rat and human stomach. This peptide is an endogenous ligand for the growth hormone secretagogue receptor and stimulates the release of growth hormones. Although the principal site of ghrelin synthesis has been reported to be in the stomach, there have been no reports of detailed descriptions of the distribution of ghrelin-immunoreactive cells in the stomach. We examined the distribution of ghrelin-immunoreactive cells in human gastric mucosa.


METHODS
We studied the tumor-free mucosa along the lesser curvature in 30 patients with gastric cancer. Sections were stained with hematoxylin and eosin and then subjected to ghrelin immunohistochemistry. The distribution of ghrelin-immunoreactive and parietal cells was studied by continuous cell counting in restricted fields along the lamina muscularis mucosa.


RESULTS
Ghrelin-immunoreactive cells were found in all regions, but were distributed mainly in the fundic region. The distribution of ghrelin-immunoreactive cells was positively correlated with that of parietal cells.


CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggested that the distribution of ghrelin-immunoreactive cells follows that of parietal cells.
Tanaka-Shintani
Michiko
M
Kobe University School of Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, 7-10-2 Tomogaoka, Suma-ku, Kobe 654-0142, Japan.
Watanabe
Makoto
M
D000906:Antibodies / Q000276:immunology*; D002452:Cell Count; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D054439:Ghrelin; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D036361:Peptide Hormones / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
D000906:Antibodies; D054439:Ghrelin; D036361:Peptide Hormones