Distribution of a bombesin-like peptide in human gastrointestinal tract.

The bombesin group of hormonal peptides produced in the amphibian skin have powerful actions on the mammalian gastrointestinal tract. In man a bombesin-like material was found in an endocrine cell which is widely distributed in the gastrointestinal mucosa. This has tentatively been identified as belonging to the non-enterochromaffin cell groups. The large number of cells containing a bombesin-like peptide suggests that this substance may be important in human physiology.