Hepatocyte growth factor region specifically activates mucin synthesis in rat stomach

We investigated the effects of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) on mucin biosynthesis and the expression of its receptor in distinct sites and layers of rat gastric mucosa. HGF stimulated the mucin biosynthesis in the surface and gland mucus cells of corpus, but not in the antrum, without its trophic effects. The HGF-receptor mRNA expression was high in the surface and deep corpus mucosa, but low in the antrum. These results demonstrate that HGF has distinct effects on mucin biosynthesis in a specific region of rat stomach, suggesting different regulatory mechanisms underlying the mucus metabolism of distinct mucus-producing cells.