[Effect of gastric mucosal denervation on gastric carcinogenesis]

Numerous nerve fibers containing various neuropeptides are found in gastric mucosa. They play an important role not only in regulation of gastric secretion, motility and microcirculation but also in regeneration and differentiation of gastric mucosa. These nerve fibers are reduced in chronic atrophic gastritis which is considered a lesion closely related to carcinogenesis. We investigated the effect of gastric gastric mucosal denervation (vagotomy) on gastric carcinogenesis by using two experimental rat models in which chronic atrophic gastritis is induced by duodenogastric reflux. At first, following administration of MNNG, vagotomy with duodenogastric reflux enhanced gastric carcinogenesis compared to reflux only. At second, in the model of gastric remnant in which no carcinogenic agent was given, both B-I and B-II gastrectomy with vagotomy showed an increase of carcinoma and/or adenoma at the anastomotic site compared to those without vagotomy. Moreover, in vagotomized groups, there were an increase of labeling index of PCNA positive cells in gastric mucosa and a marked reduction of intramucosal neutral mucin in PAS-Alcian blue staining. These results indicate that the lack of gastric mucosal innervation not only induces the decrease of gastric mucosal cell function and cytoprotection but also enhances the increase of immature cell regeneration.