Influence of gastric inhibitory polypeptide on pentagastrinstimulated gastric acid secretion in patients with type 2 diabetes and healthy controls

AIM： Gastric inhibitory polypeptide is secreted from intestinal K-cells in response to nutrient ingestion and acts as an incretin hormone in human physiology. While animal experiments suggested a role for GIP as an inhibitor of gastric secretion, the GIP effects on gastric acid output in humans are still controversial. METHODS： Pentagastrin was administered at an infusion rate of 1 μg . kg^-1 . h^-1 over 300 min in 8 patients with type 2 diabetes （2 female, 6 male, 54± 10 years, BMI 30.5 ± 2.2 kg/m^2; no history of autonomic neuropathy） and 8 healthy subjects （2/6, 46 ± 6 years., 28.9 ± 5.3 kg/ m^2）. A hyperglycaemic clamp （140 mg/dl） was performed over 240 min. Placebo, GIP at a physiological dose （1 pmol . kg^-1 . min^-1）, and GIP at a pharmacological dose （4 mol . kg^-1 . min^-1） were administered over 60 min each. Boluses of placebo, 20 pmol GIP/kg, and 80 pmol GIP/kg were injected intravenously at the beginning of each infusion period, respectively. Gastric volume, acid and chloride output were analysed in 15-min intervals. Capillary and venous blood samples were drawn for the determination of glucose and total GIP. Statistics were carried out by repeated-measures ANOVA and one-way ANOVA. RESULTS： Plasma glucose concentrations during the hyperglycaemic clamp experiments were not different between patients with type 2 diabetes and controls. Steady-state GIP plasma levels were 61 ±8 and 79 ± 12 pmol/I during the low-dose and 327±35 and 327± 17 pmol/I during the high-dose infusion of GIP, in healthy control subjects and in patients with type 2 diabetes, respectively （P= 0.23 and p 0.99）. Pentagastrin markedly increased gastric acid and chloride secretion （P〈 0.001）. There were no significant differences in the rates of gastric acid or chloride output between the experimental periods with placebo or any dose of GIP. The temporal patterns of gastric acid and chloride secretion were similar in patients with type 2 diabetes and healthy controls （P= 0.86 and P= 0.61, respectively）. CONCLUSION： Pentagastrin-stimulated gastric acid secretion is similar in patients with type 2 diabetes and healthy controls. GIP administration does not influence gastric acid secretion at physiological or pharmacological plasma levels. Therefore, GIP appears to act as an incretin rather than as an enterogastrone in human physiology.

Gastric Mucosal Blood Flow and Acid Secretion in Rats

The relationship between gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF) and gastric acid secretionwere studied in rats by using secretory stimulant (pentagastrin)and inhibitor(cimetidine). GMBFwas measured by Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) and gastric mucosal pH determined by microglasspH electrode. GMBF increased and gastric mucosal pH decreased significantly after intravenous injec-tion of 6μg/kg of pentagastrin; nevertheless GMBF decreased and gastric mucosal pH increasedmarkedly after intravenous administration of 100mg/kg of cimetidine. This indicates that pentagastrincan increase GMBF and gastric acid secretion, and cimetidine can decrease GMBF and gastric acidsecretion in rats, proving the close relationship between GMBF and gastric acid secretion in rats.

Construction and Expression of Recombinant Ghrelin Plasmid and Effects on Growth Performance and Gastric Acid Secretion of Rats

The paper was to study construction and expression of rGhrelin （pcDNA3 -Ghrelin） and its effect on growth performance and gastric acid secretion of rats. Ghrelin amplified from gastric mucosa of weaned piglets was cloned into the expression vector pcDNA3 to get recombinant plasmid pcDNA3 - Ghrelin. Twelve weaning rats were randomly divided into two groups, six rats each group. The rats in each treatment group were individually injected with 100pg of naked plasmid pcDNA3 -Ghrelin, and the rats in control group were injected with empty plasmid. The weights and feed consumption of rats were measured after injection for 7, 14 and 29 d, respectively. The rats were sacrificed at the end of the experiment, and their stomach was separated and weighed, the pH value of gastric juice was measured as well. The results showed that the average daily gain of rats at 7 and 29 d were significantly higher than that in control group, respectively （P〈0.05）, and feed consumption did not have significant chan- ges; the feed meat ratio of rats in the treatment groups was significantly lower than that in control group （ P 〈0.05） ; the gastric relative weight and gastric weight did not change significantly, while the pH value of gastric juice of rats in treatment groups was significantly lower than that in control group （P 〈 0.05）. This indicated that after transfected expression of muscle tissue, ghrelin played an important regulatory role in growth and gastric acid secretion of rats.

Effect of Lanthanum on Acid Secretion from Isolated Mouse Stomach in Vitro

To explore the effect and the mechanism of La^(3+) on gastric acid secretion (GAS) of isolated mouse stomach with perfused lumen, 12 cm H_2O column intragastric pressure-provided, whole stomach preparations from mice were incubated in buffer at 37 ℃ in vitro, and perfusate was measured for pH with a pHS-3 type pH meter. The results show that La^(3+) (0.41～820×10^(-6) mol·L^(-1)) significantly promotes GAS in a concentration-dependant manner. Proglutamine, a blocker of gastrin receptor, potently inhibits GAS, and it may block the promotive effect of La^(3+) on GAS, and this effect increases with the increase of proglutamin concentration. Cimetidine, a blocker of histamine H_2 receptor, also potently inhibits GAS, and blocks the promotive effect of La^(3+) on GAS in the same manner with proglutamine. These results suggest that La^(3+) promotes GAS in isolated stomach possibly by stimulating the releases of gastrin from G cell and Histamine from ECL cell or by activating the gastrin receptors and Histamine H_2 receptors on the parietal cell, thereby accelerating the acid secretion of parietal cells in stomach.

Direct measurement of gastric H^+/K^+-ATPase activities in patients with or without Helicobacter pylori-associated chronic gastritis

AIM:The role of Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) infection in gastric acid secretion of patients with chronic gastritis remains controversial. This study was designed to elucidate the effect of H pylori on H+/K+-ATPase activities in gastric biopsy specimens. METHODS: Eighty-two patients with chronic gastritis who had undergone upper endoscopy were included in this study. H pylori infection was confirmed by rapid urease test and histology. Gastric H+/K+-ATPase activities and serum gastrin concentrations were measured by an enzymatic method and radioimmunoassay, respectively. For those patients who received triple therapy for eradicating H pylori, changes in the activity of gastric H+/K+-ATPase and serum gastrin levels were also measured. RESULTS: The mean gastric H+/K+-ATPase activity in Hpylori-positive group (42 patients) was slightly higher than that in Hpylori-negative group (29 patients) (169.65±52.9 and 161.38±43.85nmol P/(mg·h),respectively, P=0.301). After eradication of H pylori, the gastric H+/K+-ATPase activities slightly decreased compared to prior therapy (165.03±59.50 and 158.42±38.93 nmol P/(mg·h), respectively, P=0.805). The mean basal gastrin concentration was slightly higher in H pylori-positive patients than in H pylori-negative patients (87.92±39.65 pg/mL vs75.04±42.57 pg/mL, P= 0.228). The gastrin levels fell significantly after the eradication of H pylori. (Before treatment 87.00±30.78 pg/mL, after treatment 64.73±18.96 pg/mL, P=0.015). CONCLUSION: Gastric H+/K+-ATPase activities are not associated with H pylori status in patients with chronic gastritis.

Two-Dimensional pH Mapping of a Histamine-Stimulated Gastric Mucosa by Using an Ion Image Sensor in the Guinea Pig

In order to examine the hydronium ion （proton）-releasing functions in cells, [pH]out （extracellular pH） was measured using an ion image sensor composed of a 2D （two-dimensional） array of potential sensitive pixels. Using gastric tissues prepared from the stomach, pH distribution was observed during the histamine stimulation. The 2D distribution of [pH]out in the gastric tissues showed clear differences between the mucosal sides and the serous side. Even before the histamine stimulation, the mucosal side of the gastric mucosa showed a slightly lower pH than that of serous side. In the mucosal side, [pH]out decreased after the onset of the stimulation. The ion image sensor was capable of visualizing [pH]out in the gastric tissues. The present chemical-sensing technique realized a label-free microscopic assessment of the 2D distributions of biologically interesting substances, and consequently, [pH] out imaging via chemical microscopy has a future potential in medical fields for endoscopic analysis of gastric ulcers.

CHANGES OF GASTRIC ACID SECRETION AND SOMATOSTATIN AFTER ROUX-EN-Y CHOLANGIOJEJUNOSTOMY

The authors studied the changes of gastric acid secretion and determined the levels of somatostatin(SS) and gastrin (Gn)in blood, gastric jujce and

Vultures as a model for testing molecular adaptations of dietary specialization in birds

Vultures are the only obligate scavengers among extant vertebrates.They provide valuable ecological services in ecosystems through removing carcasses,thus preventing the growth of other scavenger populations and the spread of pathogens.Moreover,their specific diets expose them to various deadly pathogens,which makes them potential candidates for studying molecular adaptations required to survive this extremely specialized scavenging habit.In this review,we summarize the morphological characteristics and behavioral habits,origin and phylogeny,and molecular adaptations to scavenging in both Old and New World vultures.The two groups of vultures share a similar appearance,indicative of convergent evolution.Vultures have experienced different degrees of specialization in their sensory organs;Old World vultures depend on sight,while New World ones depend on both smell and sight.Combined fossil records and molecular data suggest that vultures evolved independently,with distinct phylogenetic positions.We also explored their adaptation to scavenging in facial and intestinal microbiomes,gastric acid secretion and immunity.Compared with the facial microbiome,the intestinal microbiome had a lower diversity,dominated by Fusobacteria and Clostridia.The phages and single invertebrate species Adineta vaga,which feeds on dead bacteria and protozoa,present in the gut suggest a possible alternative defense mechanism.Several genes involved in gastric acidic secretion(including ATP4B,SLC26A7 and SST)and immunity(including BCL6,STING,and TLRs) undergoing positive selection likely have essential roles in eliminating invasive pathogens and initiating an innate immune response.Taken together,this review presents the current research status of vultures and highlights the use of vultures as a model for exploring molecular adaptations of dietary specialization in birds.It also provides a theoretical basis for the study of the genetic mechanisms of vultures to scavenging,and contributes to the formulation of vulture conservation strategies.