Open AccessSelf‐replication of somatostatin cells in the antral mucosa of rodents
Author(s) -
Lehy T.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
cell proliferation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.647
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1365-2184
pISSN - 0960-7722
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2184.1982.tb01572.x
Subject(s) - somatostatin , gastrin , biology , population , antrum , medicine , delta cell , mitotic index , endocrinology , thymidine , staining , mitosis , microbiology and biotechnology , biochemistry , in vitro , stomach , glucagon , hormone , secretion , genetics , environmental health
. The possibility that antral somatostatin cells have a self‐replicating activity has been studied in three species of rodents: mice, rats and guinea‐pigs, after a flash tritiated thymidine injection. The immunocytochemical staining of somatostatin cells, using specific antiserum, was combined with radioautographic procedures. The labelling index for somatostatin cells–and for gastrin cells indentified on serial sections–was established after counting a large number of cells at the optical microscope level, on parallel tissue strips removed throughout the entire antrum. A significant percentage of the somatostatin cell population synthesized DNA. Values were similar for the three species of rodents ranging from 0.8 to 1.1%, that is slightly higher than the percentage of labelled gastrin cells, which was 0.6–0.7%. After a 36‐hr continuous infusion of radioactive precursor in one rat, the labelling index observed remained low; 2.33% for somatostatin cells and 1.68% for gastrin cells. Colchicine injection in mice allowed the observation of mitotic figures in well differentiated somatostatin cells. Four hours after that injection, the mitotic index was estimated roughly at 0.3%. Thus, evidence has been presented that in rodents a fraction of the antral somatostatin cell population is capable of dividing, similar to the situation in gastrin cells.