It was proved previously that the subcutaneous injection of histamine causes the production of secretory granules in both the gastric peptic cells and the pancreatic cells. The authors here studied the effects of histamine on these cells of the stomach and the pancreas which were extirpated and preserved in vitro (i. e. in TYRODE's liquid). They did this in order to ascertain whether the above effects resulting from the histamine injection are definitely the effects of histamine itself or not.
From unfed rats, the authors extirpated the stomach and the pancreas. Some of these were placed immediately in the fixation-liquid (ZENKER's and KOLSTER's liquid) and the others in TYRODE's liquid (37°C) for periods of 1/2, 1, 2, 3, 6hrs. The latter were then transferred to fixation-liquid. The stomach and the pancreas were also taken from rats 1hr. after the diet was given, and also from rats 1hr. after a subcutaneous injection of histamine. These two groups were treated in the same manner as noted above. Thus, the authors observed the activity of the secretory function in the peptic and pancreatic cells of the extirpated stomach and pancreas in vitro.
On the other hand, the stomach and the pancreas obtained from unfed rats were both placed in TYRODE's liquid containing histamine⋅2HCl in the rate of 0.3, 0.2, 0.1, 0.05, 0.03 or 0.01%. In this way, the authors observed that the secretory activity of the peptic and pancreatic cells was promoted artificially in vitro (i. e. in TYRODE's liquid).
The results obtained may be summarized as follows.
1. The gastric peptic cells of the extirpated stomach retain a secretory activity for a long period in TYRODE's liquid.
2. In TYRODE's liquid containing histamine, the production of secretory granules in the peptic cells is promoted. This promotion or activity differs according to the content of histamine. The greater the increase there is in the histamine content, the greater is the promotion or activity in the production of secretory granules in the peptic cells. This promotion holds good only in the case of 0.3-0.1% H. T. Y. The promotion is negligible in the case of 0.05-0.01% H. T. Y.
3. The physiological vacuolization of peptic secretory granules, which is a process of discharge of these granules, is not visible in TYRODE's liquid. A lack of stainability of the secretory granules is often seen when the peptic cells degenerate. This vacuolization, however, may have no connection to the discharge of the granules.
4. In TYRODE's liquid containing much histamine, the degeneration of the peptic cells in vitro is delayed.
5. The pancreatic cells of the extirpated pancreas degenerate in TYRODE's liquid more speedily than the peptic cells of the extirpated stomach.
6. In histamine-TYRODE's liquid, the production of zymogen granules is promoted in the pancreatic cells. This promotion is most marked in 0.3% histamine-TYRODE's liquid and lowest in 0.05% H. T. Y. and negligible in 0.03 and 0.01% H. T. Y.
7. In TYRODE's liquid and in histamine-TYRODE's liquid, the discharge of zymogen granules is not caused.
8. From these results, it may be proved that the production of secretory granules in both the peptic cells and the pancreatic cells is promoted by histamine itself regardless whether it is in vivo or in vitro.
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