Overexpression of transforming growth factor-alpha alters differentiation of gastric cell lineages

Overexpression of transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) in the gastric fundic mucosa of metallothionein promoter/enhancer-TGF-alpha(MT-TGF-alpha) transgenic mice produces a phenotype of foveolar hyperplasia similar to that observed in Ménétrier's disease. We have investigated the dynamics involved in the alterations of gastric mucosal morphology in the MT-TGF-alpha mouse model. The fundic mucosa of MT-TGF-alpha mice and nontransgenic littermates was evaluated in animals treated with cadmium sulfate. To mark the mucosal proliferative zone, 8-bromodeoxyuridine (BrdU) was administered 2 hr prior to killing. Gastric mucosa was examined by diastase-resistant, periodic acid-Schiff-positive (DR-PAS) staining and immunohistochemistry for H/K-ATPase an BrdU. MT-TGF-alpha mice demonstrated increased numbers of DR-PAS-staining mucous cells and lower parietal cell numbers per gland unit. While the proliferative zone in nontransgenic mice was located in the upper half of the gland, the zone in MT-TGF-alpha mice was located in the basal region. Overexpression of TGF-alpha in MT-TGF-alpha mice leads to an alteration in the development of mucosal lineages from the fundic progenitor zone, which is biased towards the predominant differentiation of foveolar mucous cells.