Rat stomach ECL cells - Up-date of biology and physiology

The ECL cell is the predominant endocrine cell type in the oxyntic mucosa, displaying typical ultrastructure with numerous cytoplasmic vesicles and el ectron-dense granules. ECL cells have many features in common with neurons and other peptide hormone-producing endocrine cells, including the ability to produce, store, and secrete chromogranin-A and chromogranin A-derived pe ptides. In addition, they produce and store histamine and respond with acti vation and growth to a gastrin challenge. ECL cells are stimulated to secre te histamine as well as other products by gastrin and PACAP and are inhibit ed by somatostatin, galanin, and prostaglandins. The cytoplasmic vesicles a re thought to contain histamine and other secretory products. Mature secret ory vesicles occur in the docking zone of the ECL cells, where they constit ute the releasable pool of secretory products. Gastrin stimulation will ind uce exocytosis and degranulation. Histamine released from ECL cells plays a key role in the regulation of parietal cell activity (the gastrin-ECL cell -parietal cell axis). In response to long-term gastrin stimulation, vacuole s and lipofuscin bodies develop in the ECL cells, forming part of a crinoph agic pathway by which the ECL cell strives to eliminate superfluous secreto ry products. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.