Effects of amidated gastrin and glycine-extended gastrin on cell proliferation and crypt fission in parenterally and orally fed rats

Background/Aims: It has been suggested that processing variants of gastrin, such as glycine-extended gastrin (G17-Gly), are enterotrophic to the colon. Methods: Cell proliferation and crypt branching were studied in total parenteral nutrition (TPN) and orally fed rats after infusion of G17-Gly or gastrin-17. Results: Gastrin produced an increase in the weight of the stomach and small intestine and a marked proliferative action on the proximal small intestine, which diminished distally. No proliferative effects of gastrin were seen in the colon. G17-Gly was associated with a small, but significant, increase in colonic weight but had little effect on cell proliferation, except in the gastric fundus. In the distal colon, G17-Gly was associated with a significant decrease in proliferation. Neither agent affected crypt branching in the small intestine or colon, but both proliferation and branching were significantly decreased by TPN. Conclusion: Gastrin was trophic to the stomach and the proximal small intestine but not the colon. G17-Gly had only modest proliferative actions on the intestinal epithelium in this study. Copyright (C) 2002 S. Karger AG, Basel.