Localization of the histamine H2 receptor, a target for antiulcer drugs, in gastric parietal cells

Background/Aims: Histamine H-2 receptor antagonists are widely used for the treatment of peptic ulcer disorders. However, whether the H-2 receptor is present in parietal or immune cells in the lamina propria remains controversial. This study is designed to determine the H-2 receptor localization immunohistochemically using an antibody against the newly cloned mouse histamine H-2 receptor. Methods: We cloned the mouse histamine H-2 receptor gene and generated a specific antipeptide antibody against the C terminus. Immunohistochemical studies were performed with this antibody and with a monoclonal antibody against H+/K+ adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase). Results: Histamine H-2 receptors were localized on the plasma membrane and on the cytoplasm just beneath the plasma membrane on the basolateral sides of gastric cells. Confocal microscopy of double-stained sections using the monoclonal antibody against H+/K+ ATPase, a specific parietal cell marker, showed that histamine H-2 receptors colocalized with H+/K+ ATPase. No specific histamine H-2 receptor immunoreactivities were observed in the submucosal regions. Conclusion: The H-2 receptor is localized in the gastric parietal cell.