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Updated: May 6, 2026
10:12
A Fluorescence-based Assay for Characterization and Quantification of Lipid Droplet Formation in Human Intestinal Organoids
Published on: October 13, 2019
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Gastric lipase: localization in the human stomach
C K Abrams1, M Hamosh, T C Lee
1Department of Pediatrics, Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, D.C.
Gastroenterology
|December 1, 1988
Summary
Human gastric lipase is primarily active in the fundic area of the stomach. This study found gastric lipase to be the main lipase in the stomach, surpassing lingual lipase activity.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Enzymology
- Human Physiology
Background:
- Lipase plays a crucial role in fat digestion.
- The specific activity and distribution of gastric lipase in humans require further elucidation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the range of lipase activity in the human stomach.
- To identify the precise location of lipase activity within the gastric mucosa.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of lipase activity in surgical specimens of gastric mucosa from 22 subjects.
- Localization studies using biopsy specimens from different gastric regions (fundus, antrum) in 6 subjects.
- Quantification of lipase activity by measuring the release of [3H]oleic acid from tri[3H]olein.
Main Results:
- Lipase activity in the fundic area ranged from 594 to 3350 mU.
- Activity was significantly higher in the upper greater curvature (405 mU) compared to the upper lesser curvature (32 mU) and antral regions (16-10 mU).
- Gastric lipase activity levels exceeded those of lingual lipase in the stomach.
Conclusions:
- Human gastric lipase activity is predominantly localized in the fundic region of the stomach.
- Gastric lipase is the primary lipase responsible for fat digestion within the stomach.
- The fundic area exhibits the highest lipase concentration in the human stomach.
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