Ornithine decarboxylase in large bowel mucosa: regulation by gastrin, secretin and EGF.

Rats were fasted 48 h and then injected once with either saline, pentagastrin, EGF, secretin or combinations of secretin and pentagastrin or EGF. Another group of rats was fasted and refed. Animals were killed 4 h later and ODC assayed in mucosa of the cecum, proximal colon, and distal colon. EGF significantly increased ODC activity in all 3 tissues. Secretin had no effect by itself on ODC or ODC stimulated by EGF. Pentagastrin significantly increased ODC of the cecum, and secretin completely inhibited the effect of pentagastrin. Refeeding fasted rats significantly induced activity in all three tissues. Immunocytochemistry using a highly specific polyclonal ODC antibody showed that ODC was confined to the crypt cells of the proximal colon. Antibody dilution techniques demonstrated that gastrin, EGF and refeeding increased the level of enzyme in these cells. Refeeding in addition caused the appearance of enzyme in surface epithelial cells. These results showed that colonic mucosal ODC is present in proliferative cells and is regulated by the same peptides known to regulate growth in this tissue. Colonic mucosal ODC also responds the same way as it does in the oxyntic gland and small bowel mucosa.