Intrinsic factor secretion from isolated human gastric mucosal cells.

Human gastric mucosal cells were isolated from the resected fundic mucosa of peptic ulcer patients. The intracellular content and secretion of intrinsic factor were estimated by binding to cyano[57Co]cobalamin. The content was maximal in the enriched parietal cell fraction which also displayed the highest H+ production as measured by amino[14C] pyrine uptake. Secretagogues evoked full response after 15 min of incubation: pentagastrin (181% of basal secretion), carbachol (208%), histamine (250%) and dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (304%). The phosphodiesterase inhibitor isobutylmethylxanthine was slightly more effective even than dibutyryl cAMP. The response to histamine was abolished by ranitidine, indicating activation of adenylate cyclase via histamine H2 receptors, but remained unaffected by atropine, which in turn blocked the carbachol effect, whereas ranitidine was ineffective. The mean formation rate was 8.4 fmol intrinsic factor/10(6) cells per h under basal conditions and 14.3 fmol in response to histamine.