The effect of antrectomy on the number of gastrin-immunoreactive cells in the canine duodenum.

The number of gastrin-immunoreactive cells in the duodenum was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 10 dogs that had been subjected to antrectomy with gastroduodenostomy (Billroth I), in 4 dogs in which an antrectomy with gastrojejunostomy (Billroth II) had been performed and in 4 unoperated controls. Gastrin-immunoreactive cells were found only in dogs that had been subjected to antrectomy ad modum Billroth I and then only within the first 30 mm of the duodenum, i.e. in the duodenal bulb. The gastrin cells occurred scattered on the villi, in the crypts and within the glands of Brunner. In 3 of the dogs patches of antral-type mucosa occurred within the first 10 mm of the duodenum. All dogs in which gastrin-immunoreactive cells were found have in a previous study been shown to have a markedly increased tissue concentration of gastrin in the proximal third of the duodenum compared to unoperated controls. In the dogs subjected to antrectomy ad modum Billroth II in which no cells were observed the level of gastrin in duodenal tissue has been found to be moderately elevated compared to that of control dogs. The results indicate that the increased gastrin concentration in the proximal third of the duodenum following antrectomy ad modum Billroth I corresponds to an increase in the number of gastrin-immunoreactive cells in the duodenal bulb.