Secretin-Like Immunoreactivity and Biological Activity in the Antral Mucosa*

Abstract

Using immunohistocytochemical techniques, secretin cells are again demonstrated in the antral mucosae of both dogs and rats. Secretin-like immunoreactivity was found in the crude extracts of antral mucosae in 15 dogs [1.18 +/- 0.48 (+/- SE) ng/g wet wt of mucosae], and a similar amount of SLI was also found in 82 rat antral mucosae. Upon ion exchange chromatography, the extracts of dog antral mucosae exhibited a predominant species eluted by the same salt concentration as porcine secretin. The rat antral mucosal extract also produced a chromatogram exhibiting the same predominant species on the ion exchanger. The main immunoreactive secretin peak, when gel filtrated on a Sephadex G-50 (superfine) column, produced an elution profile identical to that of standard natural porcine secretin. These results indicated that antral mucosae of both animal species contain an immunoreactive secretin-like material of the same charge and size as natural porcine secretin. Intravenous injection of a preparation of partially purified secretin from the extracts of canine antral mucosae resulted in a significant increase in the pancreatic flow in anesthetized rats. We conclude that a small number of secretin cells are, therefore, present in the antral mucosae of dog and rat, and this observation is supported by the presence of an immunologically and biologically active secretin-like molecule with charge and size similar to those of porcine secretin in the canine mucosal extracts.