Characterization of oxyntic glands isolated from the rat gastric mucosa

A simple and reproducible method for isolating oxyntic glands from the rat gastric mucosa was developed. The mucosa was incubated with pronase and EGTA, and then treated mechanically to release glands that were separated from single cells by sedimentation. Parietal cells were identified by immunostaining using a monoclonal antibody against H,K-ATPase. The glandular cells appeared morphologically intact. By careful control of the conditions of gland isolation, long glandular structures comprising hundreds of cells surrounding the lumen were obtained. Intraperitoneal injection of Br-deoxyuridine in the rat 1.5 h before the isolation procedure resulted in glands with a labeling of cells in their neck region. The glands were viable, as demonstrated by their ability to respond to various hormones. Histamine dose-dependently stimulated the acid formation which was measured as the accumulation of [14C]aminopyrine. At 100 microM histamine the accumulation was increased 5-10-fold. At 100 nM, pentagastrin potentiated the histamine stimulated accumulation by approximately 40% but pentagastrin alone did not stimulate. The oxyntic glands obtained by the present procedure appear useful for studies on cell physiology, including regulation of acid secretion, cellular interactions, and possibly also differentiation and proliferation mechanisms since long glandular fragments that contained the proliferative zone could be isolated.