LACK OF EFFECT OF H-2-RECEPTOR ANTAGONISTS AND ANTACIDS ON THE GASTRIC AND DUODENAL GASTRIN-PRODUCING, SOMATOSTATIN-PRODUCING AND SEROTONIN-PRODUCING CELLS IN PATIENTS WITH ACID PEPTIC DISORDERS

Standard therapeutic approaches to acid peptic disorders have dealt wi th neutralizing or inhibiting aggressive factors and/or bolstering def ensive factors. Gastric and duodenal mucosal biopsies were examined fr om 90 patients with various acid peptic disorders, as follows: reflux esophagitis (n=24), gastric ulcer (n=13), duodenal ulcer (n=47) and no nulcer dyspepsia (n=6). Seven patients with minimal dyspeptic symptoms and an endoscopically and histologically normal stomach and duodenum served as controls. Immunoperoxidase staining for gastrin-producing G cells, somatostatin-producing D cells and serotonin-producing EC cells was carried out on fundic, antral and duodenal biopsies, and quantita ted using a Zeiss MOP videoplan. no significant effects secondary to t reatment with antacid, ranitidine or cimetidine were observed on endoc rine cell densities and ratios. Biopsies obtained on different occasio ns over time indicated that in patients on enprostil (a synthetic E(2) prostaglandin), there was a trend towards increasing cell counts, sug gesting that the serum gastrin-lowering effect of this drug may result from inhibition of gastrin release. Thus, H-2 receptor antagonists an d antacids do not alter gastric or duodenal mucosal G, D or EC cells i n patients with acid peptic disorders.