title: A new look at an old hormone gastrin.
abstract: The origin of gastrin from the G cell has been identified, as have a number of mechanisms regulating both secretion and processing of the peptide. Little, however, is known of the intracellular regulation of processing and secretion. Gastrin receptors have been identified and cloned, although the exact relationship to the cholecystokinin receptor remains to be clarified. The gene for the peptide has been sequenced and various promoters identified. Up- and downstream sequences have been demonstrated to be interrelated with epidermal growth factor and somatostatin, and the existence of a complex gastric-based molecular regulatory system is apparent. The dynamic role of gastrin in the regulation of acid secretion has been delineated by its action on multiple targets in gastric parietal cells and endocrine enterochromaffinlike cells. Similarly, its trophic effects on gastrointestinal tissue have been explored, resulting in its identification as a common denominator of gastric fundic hyperplasia and microcarcinoid evolution in conditions of hypergastrinemia.
authors.forename: I M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Modlin
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Tang