title: Characteristics of gastrin controlled ECL cell specific gene expression.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The ECL cells are histamine-producing endocrine cells in the oxyntic mucosa that synthesize and secrete proteins and peptides. They are the primary target for gastrin and mediate the control of gastrin on acid secretion and oxyntic mucosal growth. Knowledge of the molecular biology of the ECL cell is therefore important for understanding gastric physiology. Accordingly, we wanted to identify genes that are characteristically expressed in the ECL cells and controlled by gastrin.
  
  
  METHODS
  Using Affymetrix GeneChips, RNA expression profiles were generated from ECL cells isolated by counterflow elutriation from hyper- or hypogastrinemic rats. Contamination from non-endocrine cells was eliminated by subtraction of the expression profiles of the fundic and antral mucosa.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The expression of 365 genes was ECL cell characteristic. Gastrin was found to control the expression of 120 which could be divided into two major groups depending on the known or anticipated biological function of the encoded protein: genes encoding proteins involved in the secretory process and genes encoding proteins needed to generate energy for secretion. Interestingly, gastrin stimulation also increased ECL cells expression of anti-apoptotic genes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The ECL cell specific expression profile is reminiscent of that of neurons and other endocrine cells exhibiting high expression of genes encoding proteins involved in the synthesis, storage and secretion of neuropeptides or peptide hormones. Gastrin regulated the expression of one third of these genes and is thus involved in the control of secretion from the ECL cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Denmark. lfh@rh.dk
authors.forename: Lennart
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Friis-Hansen
authors.forename: Charlotte Karlskov
authors.initials: CK
authors.lastname: Schjerling
authors.forename: Charlotta Dornonville
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: de la Cour
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Håkanson
authors.forename: Jens F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Rehfeld
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D019861:Enterochromaffin-like Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D005755:Gastrins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013270:Stomach / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D005755:Gastrins