Renal uptake and excretion of epidermal growth factor from plasma in the rat.

The rat excretes around 2 nmol epidermal growth factor (EGF) in the urine per 24 h. The urinary EGF might be derived from plasma and/or might be synthesized in the kidneys. We have used the rat to study the renal uptake and excretion of homologous EGF from plasma. I.v. injected 125I-EGF was removed from the circulation within a few minutes. 5 min after the injection, the kidneys contained 12% of the 125I-EGF. The kidneys seemed to degrade most of the 125I-EGF which they accumulated from blood, as only 4% of the injected label was excreted as intact 125I-EGF in the urine. The amount of endogenous EGF in plasma was under the detection limit of our enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (0.03 nmol/l) and it remained so after bilateral nephrectomy. Even if plasma EGF was 0.03 nmol/l excretion of EGF from plasma could account for less than 5% of the urinary EGF. This study shows that the kidneys are able to accumulate EGF from plasma and excrete a part of it as intact EGF in the urine. However, excretion of immunoreactive EGF from plasma can only account for a minor part of the urinary EGF.

Processing and secretion of prosomatostatin by the pig pancreas.

Antisera and radioimmunoassays against five different regions of prosomatostatin (proSS) were used for chromatographical analysis and for immunohistochemical mapping of the products of proSS in the pig pancreas. Secreted products of proSS were studied by analysis of effluent from isolated perfused pig pancreas obtained during isoproterenol stimulation. All cells that were stained with one antiserum also stained with the other antisera. Immunoreactive nerves were not observed. Isoproterenol increased equally the secretion of proSS 20-36, proSS 65-76, and proSS 79-92 immunoreactivity. The major molecular forms identified in pancreatic extracts and released from the pancreas were proSS 79-92; proSS 65-76; an N-terminally extended form of proSS 65-76; and two larger forms comprising the proSS 20-36 sequence (but not the 1-13 sequence) with and without the proSS 65-76 sequence. ProSS 1-10, 1-32 and 65-92 (somatostatin 28) were not identified.

Somatostatin is an essential paracrine link in acid inhibition of gastrin secretion.

We studied the functional coupling between antral somatostatin and gastrin cells in pigs using isolated perfused preparations of the antrum with intact supply of the vagus nerves. Luminal acidification significantly inhibited gastrin secretion to 61 +/- 3% of basal secretion and increased somatostatin output 9-fold. Intra-arterial infusion of somatostatin to concentrations of 10(-10) and 10(-9) mol/l inhibited gastrin secretion to 18 +/- 9 and 33 +/- 11% of basal secretion. Electrical stimulation of the vagus nerves and intra-arterial infusion of gastrin-releasing polypeptide (GRP; 10(-9) mol/l) significantly increased both gastrin and somatostatin secretion. Addition to the perfusate of Fab fragments of somatostatin antibodies abolished the effect of somatostatin at 10(-10) mol/l and the acid inhibition of gastrin secretion, but had no effect on the response to vagus stimulation of GRP infusion. We conclude that a local release of somatostatin is essential for the acid-induced inhibition of gastrin secretion, whereas changes in the local somatostatin concentration are unlikely to play a major role in vagally or GRP-induced gastrin secretion.

Vagal control of the release of somatostatin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, gastrin-releasing peptide, and HCl from porcine non-antral stomach.

We studied the secretion of somatostatin and HCl and the release of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) from isolated, vascularly perfused, porcine non-antral stomach. Electric vagus stimulation increased acid secretion and the release of VIP and GRP and inhibited somatostatin secretion as determined in the venous effluent. Atropine abolished the HCl response and reversed the somatostatin inhibition to a three-fold increase, whereas GRP and VIP responses were unchanged. Both intra-arterial carbachol (10(-6) M) and GRP (10(-8) M) increased acid secretion and inhibited somatostatin secretion. VIP (10(-8) M) increased somatostatin secretion and had no effect on acid secretion. By immunohistochemistry, somatostatin was localized to both open-type and closed-type cells equally spread in the various parts of the gastric glands without particular relation to the parietal cells. Numerous GRP- and VIP-immunoreactive nerve fibers were seen between the glands. It is concluded that the fundic and antral secretion of somatostatin, investigated in a previous study, are differently regulated. The relation of fundic somatostatin release to acid secretion seems to be complex.

Immunohistochemical localisation and developmental aspects of epidermal growth factor in the rat.

The tissue localisation and time of first appearance of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) in the developing rat were investigated by means of immunohistochemistry, radioimmunoassay and radioreceptor assay. In this study we were able to show, that EGF appears prenatally in the lung and the kidney from gestational day 19. Postnatally EGF was found also in the gastrointestinal tract, first in Brunner's glands of the duodenum (at birth), next in the Paneth cells (day 7), and finally in the submandibular glands (day 25). The immunohistochemical and radioreceptor results are consistent, whereas the radioimmunoassay detects EGF later and in smaller quantities, than does the radioreceptor assay. These differences will be discussed.

Gastrointestinal regulatory peptides in familial adenomatous polyposis.

The etiology of adenomas in the stomach and duodenum in patients with familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is unknown. In this study the plasma concentration of epidermal growth factor (EGF), and other gastrointestinal polypeptides with a possible trophic effect on the gastrointestinal mucosa, was unchanged before and after meal stimulation. In 3 of 7 patients an increased EGF immunoreactivity was found in duodenal adenomas. This study has not indicated that regulatory peptides are involved in development of duodenal polyps in FAP, but suggests further studies to determine the role of EGF in FAP.

Effect of secretin and glucagon on Brunner's gland secretion in the rat.

Brunner's gland secretion in response to infusion of secretin and glucagon was studied in the rat. Secretin was infused in doses of 15, 150 and 1500 ng/kg/h. All dose significantly increased bicarbonate and protein output and depleted Brunner's glands of PAS-positive mucin. Bicarbonate secretion was related to plasma secretin concentration, and a marked stimulatory effect of secretin was found in very low, probably physiological, plasma concentrations. Maximal bicarbonate output was obtained at a plasma concentration of secretin about 20 pmol/l. Glucagon was infused at a rate of 1.0 micrograms/kg/h and did not influence secretion rate or cell morphology. Also large doses of 5.0 and 50.0 micrograms/kg/h had no effect on Brunner's gland secretion. It is concluded that secretin in very low plasma concentrations stimulates secretion of bicarbonate, protein and mucus from Brunner's glands in the rat, while glucagon has no effect, and it is suggested that secretin may be involved in the physiological regulation of Brunner's gland secretion.