Gastrin regulates histidine decarboxylase activity and mRNA abundance in rat oxyntic mucosa

Gastrin release histamine from the oxyntic mucosa, stimulates the enzymatic activity of histidine decarboxylase (HDC), increases HDC mRNA abundance, and has a trophic effect on the enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cell. In the present study, we examined the effect of exogenous gastrin on HDC activity and mRNA and the time scale of increase and decline of HDC activity and mRNA. Rats received intravenous infusion of gastrin-(1-17) in different doses or periods of time. Oxyntic mucosal HDC activity and mRNA abundance increased significantly with serum gastrin concentrations in the physiological range. The onset of response was rapid and maximal for both parameters after 2 h. Poststimulatory decrease was maximal 2 h after cessation of gastrin infusion. Those observations suggest that HDC enzymatic activity and mRNA abundance are important in meal-to-meal regulation of gastric secretion. Furthermore, HDC enzymatic activity and mRNA abundance varied in parallel, indicating that HDC mRNA abundance is important in the overall regulation of gastric mucosal HDC activity.