title: Relationship between atrial natriuretic peptide-immunoreactive cells and microvessels in rat gastric mucosa.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the ultrastructural localization of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP)-synthesizing cells and the relationship between ANP-synthesizing cells and microvessels in rat gastric mucosa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Immunohistochemistry techniques and postembedding immunoelectron microscopy techniques were used to validate the findings regarding the expression of ANP-synthesizing cells and the ultrastructural localization of ANP-synthesizing cells in the gastric mucosa. Histochemistry techniques and the tannic acid-ferric chloride method (TA-Fe staining method) were used to reveal microvessel density and the distribution of ANP-synthesizing cells in different regions of the stomach.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cells expressing ANP were localized and ANP-synthesizing cells were identified as enterochromaffin (EC) cells in the gastric mucosa. ANP-synthesizing cells existed in different regions of the stomach. The percentage ANP-synthesizing cells in the mucosa was greatest in the fundus (46.7%+/-5.3%), intermediate in the antrum (40.1%+/-4.5%), and least in the body (21.6%+/-3.6%). There was a positive relationship between the percentage of ANP-synthesizing cells and the density of microvessels in the antral mucosa, but not in the fundus or body mucosa.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ANP is synthesized by EC cells in rat gastric mucosa, and ANP-synthesizing cells are most dense in the gastric fundus. ANP may act not only as a regional autocrine and/or paracrine regulator, but also as an endocrine regulatory peptide in the gastrointestinal tract.
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
authors.forename: Chun-hui
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Zong-wei
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Zheng-ri
authors.initials: ZR
authors.lastname: Yin
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Jin
authors.forename: De-gang
authors.initials: DG
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: Lian-hua
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Piao
authors.forename: Yong-chul
authors.initials: YC
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Wen-xie
authors.initials: WX
authors.lastname: Xu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D004759:Enterochromaffin Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005748:Gastric Fundus / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008833:Microcirculation; D011706:Pyloric Antrum / Q000098:blood supply / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor