Effects of myenteric denervation on gastric epithelial cells and gastric emptying.

The influence of myenteric denervation on gastric emptying and epithelial cell population was studied by chemical lesion of myenteric neurons of rat stomach with benzalkonium chloride. Three groups were evaluated: denervated, denervated with pyloroplasty, and control. After three months, the animals were submitted to functional (gastric emptying of liquids) and morphological (neuronal counting; mucosal area, height, and volume; mucous, chief, and parietal cell population; parietal cell area; and gastrin-G and somatostatin-D cell population) studies. After benzalkonium chloride treatment, there was significant delay in gastric emptying of liquids and an increase in mucosal area of all gastric portions, in antral mucosal volume, in parietal cell area, and gastrin-G cell and somatostatin-D cell populations. These changes did not occur when denervation was combined with pyloroplasty, indicating that after denervation, gastric distension and stasis are the major stimuli for parietal cell hypertrophy and G and D cell hyperplasia