Effects of carbachol on gastrin and somatostatin release in rat antral tissue culture

Recent studies have demonstrated that somatostatin-containing cells are in close anatomic proximity to gastrin-producing cells in antral mucosa, suggesting a potential local regulatory role for somatostatin. The purpose of this study was to examine further the relationships between gastrin and somatostatin and the effects of the cholinergic agonist carbachol on content and release of gastrin and somatostatin using rat antral mucosa in tissue culture. Antral mucosa was cultured at 37 degrees C in Krebs-Henseleit buffer, pH 7.4, gassed with 95% O2-5% CO2. After 1 h, the culture medium was decanted and the tissue was boiled to extract mucosal gastrin and somatostatin. Inclusion of carbachol 2.5 X 10(-6) M in the culture medium decreased medium somatostatin from 1.91 +/- 0.28 (SEM) ng/mg tissue protein to 0.62 +/- 0.12 ng/mg (p less than 0.01), extracted mucosal somatostatin from 2.60 +/- 0.30 to 1.52 +/- 0.16 ng/mg (p less than 0.001), and percentage of somatostatin released from 42% +/- 2.6% to 27% +/- 2.2% (p less than 0.01). Carbachol also increased culture media gastrin from 14 +/- 2.5 to 27 +/- 3.0 ng/mg protein (p less than 0.01). Tissue content and release of gastrin and somatostatin were also examined during culture of rat antral mucosa in culture media containing antibodies to somatostatin in the presence and in the absence of carbachol. Incubation with somatostatin antisera, both with and without carbachol, markedly increased culture media concentrations of somatostatin, all of which was effectively bound by antibodies present in the media. Antibody binding of somatostatin was accompanied by significant increases in culture media gastrin concentrations, both in the presence and in the absence of carbachol. Results of these studies support the hypothesis that antral somatostatin exerts a local regulatory effect on gastrin release and that cholinergic stimulation of gastrin release is mediated, at least in part, through inhibition of somatostatin synthesis and release.     

Effects of exogenous and endogenous bombesin on gastrin secretion from rat antral mucosa in tissue culture

Effects of exogenous and endogenous bombesin on gastrin secretion were examined using rat antral mucosa in tissue culture. Gastrin secretion was significantly stimulated by exogenous bombesin at a dose of 10(-8) M. Atropine 10(-6) M, which abolished the action of the cholinergic agent carbachol to stimulate gastrin secretion, had no effect on bombesin-stimulated gastrin secretion. In addition, gastrin secretion was significantly inhibited by anti-bombesin antiserum used to block the effect of endogenous bombesin by immunoneutralization. These findings suggest that the stimulation of gastrin secretion by bombesin does not involve cholinergic neural pathways and that endogenous bombesin exerts a continuous stimulation on gastrin secretion in the basal state.     

Neural and paracrine regulation of gastrin release using rat antral mucosa in tissue culture--the effect of carbachol, bombesin, and anti-somatostatin antibody on gastrin release

Gastrin release was significantly stimulated by the cholinergic agent carbachol at doses of 10(-4) M, 10(-5) M, and 10(-6) M. Peak stimulation was observed at 10(-5) M. Gastrin release was also significantly stimulated by bombesin at a dose of 10(-8) M, and 10(-6) M atropine which abolished the effect of carbachol in stimulating gastrin release had no effect on the bombesin-stimulated gastrin release. In addition, anti-somatostatin antiserum significantly stimulated gastrin release. These findings suggest that gastrin release is regulated by cholinergic and noncholinergic neurons the latter being thought to be a bombesin-containing neuron, and that antral somatostatin exerts a continuous restraint on gastrin release by the paracrine mechanism.     

Somatostatin inhibition of basal and carbachol-stimulated gastrin release in rat antral organ culture

The effects of somatostatin on gastrin release and total gastrin immunoreactivity were examined under in vitro conditions in rat antral organ culture experiments. Basal antral gastrin release was inhibited by somatostatin. Total culture gastrin contents (culture medium gastrin plus extracted antral mucosal gastrin) at 6 h were reduced significantly by 10(-5) M (p less than 0.02) and 10(-4) M (P less than 0.01) somatostatin. Gastrin release into the culture media stimulated by the cholinergic agent, carbachol (10(-5) M), was suppressed by somatostatin: at 30 min and 6 h of culture 10(-8) M somatostatin inhibited carbachol-stimulated gastrin release by 66% and 54%, respectively, and 10(-5) M and 10(-4) M somatostatin completely abolished gastrin release. The rate of gastrin release stimulated by carbachol was suppressed significantly by each dose of somatostatin examined (10(-8) M to 10(-4) M). The present studies indicate that somatostatin inhibits both gastrin secretion by cultured rat antral mucosa and total antral culture gastrin contents, and demonstrate that cholinergically-mediated gastrin secretion is inhibited by somatostatin.     

Regulatory mechanism of bombesin on gastrin release

Bombesin has been demonstrated to stimulate gastrin release by an atropine-resistant mechanism. In the present study, the effects of truncal vagotomy and chemical sympathectomy on the gastrin release by exogenous and endogenous bombesin using rat antral mucosa in tissue culture were studied. Exogenous bombesin 10^-8 mol/l significantly stimulated gastrin release. The stimulation of gastrin release by bombesin was abolished by truncal vagotomy, but not altered by chemical sympathectomy. Bombesin antiserum inhibited gastrin release by blocking the effect of endogenous bombesin. The inhibition of gastrin release by bombesin antiserum was abolished by truncal vagotomy, but not altered by chemical sympathectomy. In addition, the concentrations of bombesin-like immunoreactivity in antral mucosa were not altered by truncal vagotomy. These results suggest that the mechanism of gastrin release by bombesin is influenced by non-cholinergic local nerves under vagal control.     

Effects of pirenzepine on omeprazole-induced gastrin gene expression in rat antral tissues

Pirenzepine has inhibitory effects on gastrin secretion bothin vivo andin vitro. The aim of this study was to determine the mechanism responsible for the suppression of omeprazole-induced hypergastrinemia that occurs with pirenzepine treatment. The effects were measured in rats treated with oral omeprazole plus intraperitoneal pirenzepine or saline once daily for seven days in the antrum. The serum gastrin level increased significantly by more than sixfold with omeprazole treatment; additional treatment with pirenzepine suppressed this increase by 48%. Pirenzepine treatment did not change the level of gastrin mRNA but significantly increased the level of somatostatin mRNA. Combination treatment with omeprazole plus pirenzepine significantly decreased the gastrin mRNA level to half and significantly increased the somatostatin mRNA level up to 1.4-fold of the levels achieved with omeprazole treatment alone. These results suggest that the stimulatory effect of omeprazole on gastrin synthesis is partially blocked by pirenzepine via mediation of somatostatin synthesis in the antrum.     

Effects of calcium on cholinergic-stimulated gastrin release in the rat

The effects of alterations in availability and access of extracellular media calcium on antral gastrin release were examined in the basal state and in response to cholinergic stimulation in rat antral organ culture experiments. In the presence of either divalent cationic chelator (EGTA) or calcium channel blocker (verapamil, nifedipine), carbachol-stimulated gastrin release was inhibited completely to values that were not significantly different from non-stimulated control. In the absence of added calcium chloride, carbachol stimulated gastrin release during the initial 30 min of culture but not at 60 and 120 min of culture. Inhibition by EGTA and verapamil of carbachol-stimulated gastrin release during the initial 30 min of culture suggests, but does not prove, that these agents may also affect intracellular availability and movement of calcium. Cholinergic stimulation of gastrin release demonstrated a concentration-dependent relationship with extracellular calcium: optimal culture media calcium concentration was 1 mM. In conclusion, these studies indicate that cholinergic stimulation of the gastrin cell requires availability of extracellular calcium.     

Cyclic Amp and the release of antral gastrin.

The isolated, vagally innervated antral pouches in anesthetized dogs were irrigated with 095% acetylcholine chloride (Ach) or a 0.4 M mixture of non-essential amino acids (AA), or distended at 30 cm H2O pressure. In addition,2-deoxy-D-glucose (2-DG) was administered intravenously. Significant increases in antral venous gastrin, caused by gastrin releasers, were associated with a significant rise in cAMP content in the antral mucosa. Acidification of the antrum with simultaneous administration of 2-DG, and acidified AA abolished gastrin release, and significantly reduced mucosal cAMP. Acidified Ach and distension of the antrum with 0.1 N HC1 supressed gastrin levels without significantly changing the mucosal cAMP content. Since the augmented gastrin release was accompanied by an increased mucosal cAMP, the results suggest that cAMP participates in the action of gastrin secretagogues.     

Participation of antral somatostatin in the local regulation of gastrin release

In anaesthetized pigs gastrin release was stimulated by irrigation of the antrum with bicarbonate and by instillation of a meat extract. The concentration of gastrin and somatostatin was measured by radioimmunoassay both in the antral and peripheral venous blood. The increase in gastrin was coupled to a significant decrease in somatostatin immunoreactivity as measured in the antral venous blood both during instillation of alkali and meat extract. In peripheral blood, the differences were much less evident and not statistically significant. It is speculated that the decrease in release of antral somatostatin during alkalinization and instillation of meat extract is the primary event which is followed by a diminished inhibition of gastrin liberation. Thus, the present data support the hypothesis that antral somatostatin participates in the local regulation of gastrin release.     

Role of calcium in the stimulus-secretion coupling of antral gastrin release

The role of calcium in the stimulus-secretion coupling of antral gastrin release was examined in isolated sheets of canine antral mucosa. Mucosa was obtained from 137 dogs and mounted in Ussing chambers to separate the luminal from nutrient surfaces. The influence of verapamil, LaCl3, A23187, and EGTA on the release of gastrin by luminal calcium and ethyl alcohol was examined and the release of immunoreactive gastrin (IG) was measured in luminal perfusates. Release of IG by luminal calcium was dose-related, unsaturable, and impaired by verapamil and by LaCl3. Release of IG by alcohol was prevented by leaching the mucosa of calcium and restored by repletion of the calcium. IG release induced by alcohol was prevented by topical, but not by nutrient, application of LaCl3. Molecular sieve and affinity chromatography of the endogenous IG released in the absence of luminal calcium, and of the exogenous gastrin added, indicated that antral gastrin was released as heptadecapeptide gastrin, and that which was released in the presence of CaCl2 degraded rapidly into a C-terminal fragment. The data indicate that calcium may participate in the stimulus-secretion coupling of canine antral gastrin release in vitro.     

Effects of amidated gastrin and glycine-extended gastrin on cell proliferation and crypt fission in parenterally and orally fed rats

BACKGROUND/AIMS: It has been suggested that processing variants of gastrin, such as glycine-extended gastrin (G17-Gly), are enterotrophic to the colon. METHODS: Cell proliferation and crypt branching were studied in total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and orally fed rats after infusion of G17-Gly or gastrin-17. RESULTS: Gastrin produced an increase in the weight of the stomach and small intestine and a marked proliferative action on the proximal small intestine, which diminished distally. No proliferative effects of gastrin were seen in the colon. G17-Gly was associated with a small, but significant, increase in colonic weight but had little effect on cell proliferation, except in the gastric fundus. In the distal colon, G17-Gly was associated with a significant decrease in proliferation. Neither agent affected crypt branching in the small intestine or colon, but both proliferation and branching were significantly decreased by TPN. CONCLUSION: Gastrin was trophic to the stomach and the proximal small intestine but not the colon. G17-Gly had only modest proliferative actions on the intestinal epithelium in this study.     

Aging and gastrin production: changes in serum and antral gastrin concentrations in the rat

Serum gastrin concentration and antral gastrin content were measured in 4-5- and 26-28-mo rats under fed conditions, after 3 days of starvation, and after 1 day of refeeding after starvation, to determine whether gastrin homeostasis is altered during aging. Gastric weight was 29% greater, but antral weight and DNA were less in the older rats. Serum gastrin fell during starvation and rose during refeeding in both groups, but it was lower in aging rats only during refeeding. Antral gastrin content in older animals was 60% of that in young rats. Starvation reduced antral gastrin only in the young, whereas refeeding lowered antral gastrin in the older animals. We conclude that, in aging rats, the relationship of serum and antral gastrin is altered during changes in food intake.     

Effects of carbamylcholine chloride on human antral gastrin mRNA levels

The effects of the muscarinic receptor agonist, carbamylcholine chloride (carbachol), on gastrin release and gastrin mRNA levels in human antral mucosa (n=15) were determined. During a-2-h incubation period, carbachol (10⁻⁶−10⁻⁴M) decreased gastrin mRNA levels to 71±8% (10⁻⁶M), 40±8% (10⁻⁵M), and 33±5% (10⁻⁴M) of control levels. Carbachol (10⁻⁵M) decreased intracellular gastrin (from 1634±103 to 1272±126 pg/mg tissue protein), while it increased gastrin release into the medium (from 609±48 to 918±68 pg/ml per mg tissue protein). After 6-and 9-h culture, carbachol gradually increased gastrin mRNA levels, by 96±12% and 126±23%, respectively. Atropine sulfate (10⁻⁵ M) completely inhibited the carbachol-induced changes. Cycloheximide markedly decreased tissue gastrin concentration, but increased gastrin mRNA levels, whereas it had no effects on gastrin release. These findings suggested that carbachol may have a time-related biphasic action on human antral gastrin biosynthesis.     

Relation of antral pH to gastrin release and fundal pH in dogs

Summary and conclusions Four dogs were prepared with Heidenhain pouches and cannulas placed in the fundus and antrum. Fasting pouch output was measured for 1 hr. Changes in pH in the fundus and pouch, and pouch acid production were then determined while antral pH was varied by perfusion in increasing and decreasing sequences. Results were virtually identical with ascending and descending antral pH values.With an antral pH below 1.8 no appreciable pouch secretory effect was found, the values being identical with those obtained under fasting conditions. A transition zone was encountered between antral pH 1.8–3.0 in which relatively small and variable amounts of pouch acid were produced. Above an antral pH of 3.0 a significant stimulatory effect was noted that did not increase with further increments of antral pH.Fundal and pouch pH were relatively high and had little relationship to one another when antral pH was less than 1.8. The values fell and became more closely associated at the antral transition zone of pH 1.8–3.0. Above an antral pH of 3.0, fundus and pouch pH decreased and fluctuated in a parallel manner. Pouch pH was consistently below fundal pH.Supported by a grant from Wyeth Laboratories, Inc., Radnor, Pa.     

Decreased sulfation of serum and tissue gastrin in hypergastrinemia of antral origin

The sulfation of gastrin in serum, antrum and duodenum was studied in 22 normo- and 20 hypergastrinemic patients. The ratio between gastrin-17 and gastrin-34 was measured in antrum and duodenum. The degree of sulfation was reduced in the antrum of hypergastrinemic patients (35.3 +/- 1.3%, mean +/- SEM) compared with 48.0 +/- 2.1% in normo-gastrinemic patients (p less than 0.001). The degree of sulfation in serum and duodenum was similar to that of the antral gastrins in all patients. The percentage of gastrin-34 in antrum was increased (7.3 +/- 0.7%) in hypergastrinemic compared with 4.9 +/- 0.3% in normogastrinemic patients (p less than 0.01). In the duodenum the percentage of gastrin-34 was similar in normo- and hypergastrinemia. When classified according to clinical diagnosis, sulfation of antral gastrin was normal in duodenal ulcer (47.6 +/- 4.5%) but decreased in gastric ulcer (36.7 +/- 1.6%, p less than 0.01) and pernicious anemia (31.3 +/- 1.9%, p less than 0.001) compared with 48.2 +/- 2.2% in control patients. In pernicious anemia a larger proportion of antral gastrins occurred as gastrin-34 (8.2 +/- 0.9%) compared with 4.8 +/- 0.4% in control patients (p less than 0.01). Our study suggests that both sulfation and proteolytic processing of the gastrin precursor is diminished in hypergastrinemia of antral origin.