American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 24, 137-143, Copyright © 1971 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Human gastric mucosa: correlation of structure and function

¹ From the Departments of Medicine and Radiology, University of Oklahoma Medical Center, 800 N.E. 13th St., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104

Human gastric mucosa contains at least seven types of epithelial cells: 1) pyloric gland, 2) surface mucous, 3) mucous gland, 4) undifferentiated neck, 5) "enterochromaffin-like", 6) parietal, and 7) chief cells. The first three of the above primarily secrete mucus and the pyloric gland cells may also secrete pyloric pepsinogen. Undifferentiated neck cells may be the primordial stem cells for the remainder of the gastric epithelial cells. "Enterochromaffin-like" cells appear to be the source of gastrin. Parietal cells provide hydrochloric acid, water, and intrinsic factor, and chief cells are the source of pepsinogen.

Gastritis results in a decrease in the volume of gastric juice as well as hydrochloric acid, proteolytic enzymes, and intrinsic factor. With complete mucosal atrophy, the patient is achlorhydric and secretes no proteolytic enzymes or intrinsic factor.

Gastric hypersecretion is associated with parietal cell hyperplasia in Zollinger-Ellison syndrome, with hypertrophic, hypersecretory gastropathy, and in some cases with duodenal ulcer.