The antral gastrin-producing cells in duodenal ulcer patients. An ultrastructural study before and during treatment with cimetidine.

Ultrastructural examination of the antral G cells has been carried out on 11 patients with chronic duodenal ulcer, before and after treatment with a histamine H-2 - receptor antagonist (cimetidine 1 g/day) for 8 weeks. The study demonstrated an increased area of the Golgi complex, rough endoplasmic reticulum and electron-dense granules, indicating increased G cell activity during treatment. An increased number of lysosomes was a constant feature during treatment. As an hypothesis we suggest that these lysosomes may participate in the secretory mechanism of human G cells, by destroying superfluous (Gastrin) components produced during hyperactivity.