CELL-PROLIFERATION KINETICS IN ACETIC-ACID INDUCED GASTRIC-ULCER EVALUATED BY IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STAINING OF PROLIFERATING CELL NUCLEAR ANTIGEN

A monoclonal antibody to proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) has been previously shown to be capable of identifying proliferating cell s. We investigated proliferative activity in the healing process of ac etic acid-induced gastric ulcer by immunohistochemical staining of PCN A and 5-bromo-2-deoxyuridine (BrdU), and the two methods were compared . Cell proliferative activity of regenerated mucosa around ulcers show ed continuous acceleration for 42 days. and PCNA-labeled cells had sta ined nuclei as clearly discernible as those of BrdU-labeled cells. In addition, immunohistochemical staining of PCNA provided reproducible a nd quantifiable results without the requirement of pretreatment. We co nclude that immunohistochemical staining of PCNA may represent a usefu l technique for analysis of proliferative activity during heating of g astric ulcers.