Effect of pentagastrin on parietal cell ultrastructure in glucagon-pretreated subjects

The effect on parietal cells of glucagon given prior to pentagastrin is unknown. Fifteen healthy volunteers were studied during constant intravenous infusion of pentagastrin (2 micrograms/kg body weight/hr) and during pentagastrin infusion initiated 20 min after intravenous injection of 2 mg glucagon. Three types of studies were performed: Gastric mucosal biopsies were obtained with a Quinton instrument. Electron micrographs of 320 parietal cells were analyzed by the Loud quantitative method, and intragastric pH (pH probe), or gastric potential difference (PD) were recorded continuously. Pentagastrin infusion produced a significant increase in canalicular and simultaneous reduction of tubulovesicular membrane area of parietal cells. Glucagon pretreatment did not inhibit canalicular and tubulovesicular membrane reaction to pentagastrin; unexpectedly this reaction was significantly greater when compared to that after pentagastrin alone. Initiation of pentagastrin infusion in subjects pretreated with glucagon produced a greater absolute value drop in gastric PD (23 +/- 2 mV) and an earlier drop in intragastric pH (3 min) than in subjects receiving pentagastrin infusion alone (13 +/- 1 mV and 10 min, respectively). In conclusion, at the doses studied, glucagon pretreatment increases parietal cell canalicular reaction to pentagastrin.