QUANTITATIVE MORPHOLOGICAL STUDIES OF THE HUMAN GASTRIC PARIETAL CELL

A Lectin Histochemical Study

Abstract

Dolichos biflorus agglutinin (DBA) specifically stains the perinuclear region of the human parietal cells that corresponds to the intracellular secretory canalicular membrane at the electron microscopic level (Histochemistry 83: 189, 1985). In the present study, the DBA-staining intensity of the parietal cell was quantitatively estimated in association with gastric acid secretion.
Gastric fundic glandular tissues were taken by endoscopic biopsy from 11 healthy males immediately before 30 and/or 60 min after intramuscular administration of tetragastrin (4μg/kg) or betazol hydrochloride (1mg/kg). Paraffin sections were prepared and stained with DBA by the ABC method. The rate of absorption of the stained parietal cells was measured using a microspectro-photometer (Olympus MMSP; 365nm in wave length).
In all cases, significant increase in the absorption rate was recorded after stimulation. The total average of the absorption rate before and after stimulation were 38.3% and 51.6%, respectively. Electron microscopy revealed that the increase in absorption rate was caused by an increase in the surface area of the membrane of the intracellular secretory canaeicules.