Gastric mucosal histamine storing cells: evidence for different roles of mast cells and enterochromaffin-like cells in humans.

Histamine plays a major role in the regulation of gastric secretion in health and disease. Two populations of histamine secreting cells exist in the stomach, namely mast cells and enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells. To appreciate how the differentiation of these two cell types is regulated and to obtain hints on the functional role played by each of these two cell types in the stomach, a combined histochemical and biochemical analysis was performed on the histamine secreting of the human gastric in healthy conditions and upon gastrectomy with Billroth II reconstruction, total bile diversion or chronic (more than 6 months) omeprazole therapy. The results showed that histamine mucosal content is directly correlated with the number of ECL cells, rather than with that of mast cells, and that the number of ECL cells, but not that of mast cells, is directly correlated with serum gastrin concentration. The number of mast cells, on the contrary, appeared to be correlated with the degree of inflammation of the mucosa. These results suggest that, in the human gastric mucosa, mast cells are involved in defense-repair mechanisms, like in other body districts, and that ECL cells are responsible for organ-specific, histamine-mediated regulatory mechanisms. Gastrin stimulates the proliferation of precursors and the differentiation of ECL cells, but not the influx of precursors and the differentiation of mast cells. like in other body districts, and that ECL cells are responsible for organ-specific, histamine-mediated regulatory mechanisms. cells of the human gastric mucosa in healthy conditions and upon gastrectomy with Billroth II reconstruction, total bile diversion or chronic (more than 6 months) omeprazole therapy. The results showed that histamine mucosal content is directly correlated with the number of ECL cells, rather than with that of mast cells, and that the number of ECL cells, but not that of mast cells, is directly correlated with serum gastrin concentration. The number of mast cells, on the contrary, appeared to be correlated with the degree of inflammation of the mucosa. These results suggest that, in the human gastric mucosa, mast cells are involved in defense-repair mechanisms, like in other body districts, and that ECL cells are responsible for organ-specific, histamine-mediated regulatory mechanisms. Gastrin stimulates the proliferation of precursors and the differentiation of ECL cells, but not the influx of precursors and the differentiation of mast cells.