Relationship between atrial natriuretic peptide-immunoreactive cells and microvessels in rat gastric mucosa.
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.
Li
Chun-hui
CH
College of Life Science and Biotechnology, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
Yang
Zong-wei
ZW
Yin
Zheng-ri
ZR
Jin
Zheng
Z
Xing
De-gang
DG
Piao
Lian-hua
LH
Kim
Yong-chul
YC
Xu
Wen-xie
WX
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
D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor