Somatostatin cells in rat antral mucosa: qualitative and quantitative ultrastructural analyses in different states of gastric acid secretion.

In the gastrointestinal tract somatostatin is localized in endocrine cells and in neurons. The antral somatostatin (D-) cell shares features of both cell types. The activity of the antral D-cell is regulated by intragastric pH. Therefore different states of gastric acidity were induced experimentally in order to study D-cell morphology at the electron microscopical level. The morphological findings were related to measurements of plasma and tissue concentrations of the peptide. The D-cell is characterized by extensive membrane interdigitations with neighbouring cells. Changes in the activity of antral D-cells are reflected by an increase in cytoplasmic secretory granule density and a shift of secretory granules towards basal cell processes. Direct endocrine cell contacts at the level of the perikarya were rarely observed. The intracellular distribution of secretory granules suggests that cell communication is more likely to take place at the level of the strongly immunoreactive cytoplasmic processes. No evidence for endocrine or exocrine (luminar) secretion was observed morphologically. This is in agreement with the concept of paracrine secretion of the antral D-cell.