[Morphometric study of somatostatin-producing "D" cells in duodenum and pancreas of the rat, following experimental antrectomy].

Given the inhibition of gastric secretion by the "D" cells producing somatostatin in antral mucosa, as well as evidence of disorders of the postprandial blood glucose after antrectomy, we may expect as a result of the antral resection a series of modifications in the content of the "D" cells in duodenum and pancreas. The study group was made up of 30 Sprague-Dawley albino rats, distributed in 3 groups as follows: Billroth I, Billroth II and laparotomy. The "D" cell study and the morphometric analysis after immunohistochemical avidin-biotin, was carried out with an automatic image analyzer and a morphometric calculation program. The results show that: the "D" cell population decreased significantly in the B-II group while the number of pancreatic islets and the average insular surface, did not show significantly differences in the tree groups, the relationship of the average insular surface with respect to the pancreas, decreased significantly in the two groups with antrectomy, expressing a hyperplasia of the exocrine pancreas and that the number of insular "D" cells decreased significantly in the B-II group and didn't change in the B-I group. These findings suggest that antrectomy, originates an increase of the exocrine pancreas and that antrectomy with gastrojejunal anastomosis excluding the duodenum, decreases the number of duodenal "D" cells and number of "D" cells of the pancreatic islets.