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Endocrine cells in human fetal corpus of stomach: appearance, distribution, and density

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Abstract

Background

Since reports on endocrine cells and their kinetics in the corpus of the human stomach are limited, the aim of this study was to examine the appearance, localization, density, and the relationship among the endocrine cell types in the corpus of the human stomach during prenatal and early postnatal development.

Methods

We examined chromogranin A, somatostatin, ghrelin, glucagon, and serotonin expression by immunohistochemistry in 2 embryos, 38 fetuses, and 3 infants in the corpus of human stomach.

Results

Chromogranin A secreting endocrine cells were identified in the corpus at week 10 of gestation. Somatostatin cells were present from the 10th week, ghrelin and serotonin cells from the 11th week, and glucagon cells from the 12th week of gestation. Endocrine cells were present individually or clustered within the glandular base and body during the first trimester, and were present separately within the basal and central parts of glands during the second and third trimesters. Somatostatin cells were the most common type of cells (~46 %) during the first trimester, while ghrelin cells were the most numerous during the second trimester (~34 %), and in infants (~28 %). The percentage of glucagon cells was significant only during the first trimester of pregnancy (5.5 %), and the percentage of serotonin cells was only significant just before birth (4.8 %).

Conclusions

These results show, for the first time, that the largest number of endocrine cells are present in the corpus during the first trimester of prenatal development. Also, these results suggest that secretory products of endocrine cells play a role in the regulation of homeostasis, growth, and differentiation, and in human stomach function.

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Abbreviations

Ir:

Immunoreactive

GIT:

Gastrointestinal tract

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by a grant from the Serbian Ministry of Education and Science (175053).

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Medical Research, University of Belgrade, Dr Subotića 4, PO Box 102, 11129, Belgrade, Serbia

    Olivera Mitrović, Mileva Mićić, Sanja Vignjević, Dragoslava Đikić, Mirela Budeč, Tijana Breković & Vladan Čokić

  2. Institute of Histology and Embryology, School of Medicine, University of Niš, Niš, Serbia

    Goran Radenković

Authors
  1. Olivera Mitrović
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  2. Mileva Mićić
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  3. Goran Radenković
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  4. Sanja Vignjević
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  5. Dragoslava Đikić
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  6. Mirela Budeč
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  7. Tijana Breković
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Correspondence to Olivera Mitrović.

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Mitrović, O., Mićić, M., Radenković, G. et al. Endocrine cells in human fetal corpus of stomach: appearance, distribution, and density. J Gastroenterol 47, 1212–1220 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-012-0597-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00535-012-0597-9

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