The Fine Structure of Human Gastric Mucosa

The Ultrastructural Changes of Parietal Cells Induced by Histalog

Abstract

In order to investigate the relation between the morphology and function of gastric secretory cells, gastro-endoscopic biopsy was performed on 9 subjects. They were divided into 2 groups, namely, 5 essentially intact gastric mucosa and 4 advanced atrophic gastric mucosa. The fine structural changes between 2 groups of parietal cells induced by Histalog were comparatively analysed. In this study, parietal cells to be examined were obtained from middle portion of the gastric corpus in greater curvature. Moreover, the part of gastric gland examined was restricted to the middle region. Morphological changes appeared mainly in basal and lateral cell membranes, mitochondria, Golgi apparatus, nucleus, vesicular component, intra-cellular canaliculus and microvillus. These alterations became prominent at 10 minutes after stimulation in normal gastric group, and at 20 minutes in advanced atrophic gastritis group. In addition to alterations in the above mentioned organellae, the changes in lysosome and vacuole containing body were especially prominent in advanced atrophic gastritis group. These morphological changes in advanced atrophic gastritis group were more diffuse than in normal gastric group. The above results may well be correlated with the assumption that the function in advanced atrophic gastritis group is very much disturbed. As to the secretory mechanism of HCl in parietal cells, I would say conclusively that eccrine secretion is seen in most cases, while micro-apocrine secretion is seen in only a few cases.