Cell Proliferation and Migration in the Stomach, Duodenum, and Rectum of Man: Radioautographic Studies

Abstract

Summary Many data are available concerning cell proliferation and migration in the gut of animals. Little work has been done on man. In this study 2 ambulatory patients with incurable nongastrointestinal cancer were selected because of their excellent general health. Each was given 10 mc. of tritiated thymidine intravenously. Gastric, duodenal, and rectal suction biopsy specimens were obtained at 1 hour and at frequent intervals up to 14 days after injection. Within 1 hour many labeled cells were evident in the gastric pits and gland isthmuses and in the duodenal and rectal crypts. Parietal and chief cells were not labeled, but occasionally radioautographic reactions were seen over mucous neck cells deep in the gland. Rarely, duodenal goblet cells were labeled within the first hour; labeling of rectal goblet cells was not certain until later. Migration from gastric pits to surface usually took 4 to 6 days although cells from a few pits reached the surface in 36 hours. Duodenal cells migrated from the crypt mitotic zones up the villi to be extruded from the tips in 5 to 6 days. Rectal epithelial cells reached the surface in about 5 to 6 days. A few well labeled cells persisted in the mitotic regions of all 3 organs at 14 days. In these subjects the duodenal and rectal epithelial migration time was 5 to 6 days which is 2 to 3 times that reported in rodents. That of the human gastric fundal epithelium varied greatly between pits but was also probably longer than that reported in rodents. The labeling of goblet cells within 1 hour suggests that all goblet cells do not differentiate from undifferentiated columnar cells but that they may reproduce themselves. From this study it is apparent that animal data on gastrointestinal epithelial proliferation cannot be applied unreservedly to man.