Stereological analysis of human parietal cells before and 6 months after vagotomy

Gastric biopsies from 10 patients were studied before proximal gastric vagotomy (PGV) and 6 months after the operation. The parietal cells were studied light microscopically and electron microscopically, using point-counting stereology. The volume fraction of the mucosa made up of parietal cells was significantly reduced (p less than 0.01) from 13.9% before PGV to 10.6% 6 months after PGV (median values). This reduction corresponded with a decrease of the median cell volume from 4698 microns3 before PGV to 3737 microns3 after the operation (p = 0.01). The ultrastructural composition of the parietal cells was virtually unchanged after the vagotomy, with the exception of a slight but significant reduction of the cell fraction occupied by mitochondria. The fractions of the parietal cell volume occupied by microvilli and tubulovesicular structures were significantly altered during stimulation with pentagastrin. These relative alterations were of the same magnitude before and after PGV.