Patterns of Nucleic Acid and Protein Synthesis in Normal Human Gastric Mucosa and Atrophic Gastritis<xref ref-type="fn" rid="FN2">2</xref>

Abstract

Analyses were made of autoradiographic patterns of tritiated thymidine, uridine, and leucine incorporation after incubation of normal gastric mucosa and mucosa in various stages of atrophic gastritis. In normal gastric mucosa, incorporation of precursors into DNA, RNA, and protein was greatest in the neck and isthmus cells. However, in mucosa in various stages of atrophic gastritis, alterations in the gradients of precursor incorporation could be correlated with the severity of the gastric lesion. The earliest abnormalities were increased RNA and protein synthesis as well as DNA synthesis in surface epithelial cells of histologically normal gastric mucosa. This gradient continued when the mucosa became lined with immature cuboidal cells and extended into the stages of increased atrophy and early intestinalization. During the period of severe atrophie gastritis, the intestinalized gastric mucosa was characterized by a labeling pattern seen in the normal small bowel—with DNA synthesis and greater RNA and protein synthesis in the lower portions of the glands. The results are compared with those of other studies of intestinal metaplasia and are discussed in the light of various theories of gastric cancer induction.