Inhibition of acid formation in rabbit parietal cells by prostaglandins is mediated by the prostaglandin E2 receptor

Roles of cyclooxygenase-2 and prostacyclin/IP receptors in mucosal defense against ischemia/reperfusion injury in mouse stomach

We examined the roles of cyclooxygenase (COX) isozymes, prostaglandins (PGs), and their receptors in the mucosal defense against ischemia/reperfusion (I/R)-induced gastric lesions in mice. Male C57BL/6 mice, including wild-type animals and those lacking prostaglandin E(2) (EP)1, EP3, or prostaglandin I(2) (IP) receptors, were used after 18 h of fasting. Under urethane anesthesia, the celiac artery was clamped (ischemia) for 30 min, and then reperfusion was achieved for 60 min through the removal of the clamp, and the stomach was examined for lesions. I/R produced hemorrhagic gastric lesions in wild-type mice. The severity of lesions was significantly increased by pretreatment with indomethacin (a nonselective COX inhibitor) and rofecoxib (a selective COX-2 inhibitor) but not 5-(4-chlorophenyl)-1-(4-methoxyphenyl)-3-(trifluoromethyl)-1H-pyrazole (SC-560; a selective COX-1 inhibitor). The expression of COX-2 mRNA was up-regulated in the stomach following I/R but not by sham operation or ischemia alone. The ulcerogenic response was markedly aggravated in IP receptor knockout mice but not those lacking EP1 or EP3 receptors. I/R increased the levels of 6-keto-PGF(1alpha) and PGE(2) in the stomach of wild-type mice, and this response was attenuated by indomethacin and rofecoxib but not SC-560. Pretreatment of wild-type mice with iloprost, a prostacyclin (PGI(2)) analog, significantly prevented the I/R-induced gastric lesions in the absence and presence of indomethacin or rofecoxib. PGE(2) also reduced the severity of I/R-induced gastric lesions, yet the effect was much less pronounced than that of iloprost. These results suggest that endogenous PGs derived from COX-2 play a crucial role in gastric mucosal defense during I/R, and this action is mainly mediated by PGI(2) through the activation of IP receptors.

Differential expression and regulation of Na(+)/H(+) exchanger isoforms in rabbit parietal and mucous cells

Several Na(+)/H(+) exchanger (NHE) isoforms are expressed in the stomach, and NHE1 and NHE2 knockout mice display gastric mucosal atrophy. This study investigated the cellular distribution of the NHE isoforms NHE1, NHE2, NHE3, and NHE4 in rabbit gastric epithelial cells and their regulation by intracellular pH (pH(i)), hyperosmolarity, and an increase in cAMP. Semiquantitative RT-PCR and Northern blot experiments showed high NHE1 and NHE2 mRNA levels in mucous cells and high NHE4 mRNA levels in parietal and chief cells. Fluorescence optical measurements in cultured rabbit parietal and mucous cells using the pH-sensitive dye 2',7'-bis(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)-carboxyfluorescein and NHE isoform-specific inhibitors demonstrated that in both cell types, intracellular acidification activates NHE1 and NHE2, whereas hyperosmolarity activates NHE1 and NHE4. The relative contribution of the different isoforms to pH(i)- and hyperosmolarity-activated Na(+)/H(+) exchange in the different cell types paralleled their relative expression levels. cAMP elevation also stimulated NHE4, whereas an increase in osmolarity above a certain threshold further increased NHE1 and not NHE4 activity. We conclude that in rabbit gastric epithelium, NHE1 and NHE4 regulate cell volume and NHE1 and NHE2 regulate pH(i). The high NHE1 and NHE2 expression levels in mucous cells may reflect their special need for pH(i) regulation during high gastric acidity. NHE4 is likely involved in volume regulation during acid secretion.

Differential expression and regulation of AE2 anion exchanger subtypes in rabbit parietal and mucous cells

1. The anion exchanger isoform 2 (AE2) gene encodes three subtypes (AE2a, b and c), which have different N-termini and tissue distributions. AE2 is expressed at high levels in the stomach, where it is thought to mediate basolateral base exit during acid production. The present study investigated if the three AE2 subtypes are differentially expressed and regulated in different cell types within the gastric mucosa. 2. The cloning strategy to obtain rabbit AE2a, b and c cDNAs combined genomic PCR and RT-PCR based on primers deduced from the rat sequences. Semiquantitative RT-PCR using homologous primers revealed much higher AE2 mRNA expression in rabbit parietal cells (PCs) than in mucous cells (MCs). The subtype expression pattern was AE2b >> AE2c > or = AE2a in PCs and AE2a >AE2b >> AE2c in MCs. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of a highly conserved protein kinase C (PKC) consensus sequence in the AE2a alternative N-terminus. 3. Maximal Cl(-)-HCO(3)(-) exchange rates, measured fluorometrically in BCECF-loaded cultured gastric cells, were much higher in PCs than MCs. PKC activation by phorbol ester stimulated maximal Cl(-)-HCO(3)(-) exchange rates in MCs but not in PCs, whereas forskolin had no effect in each cell type. 4. In summary, rabbit PCs and MCs, which originate from the same gastric stem cell population, display a completely different AE2 subtype expression pattern. Therefore, AE2 subtype expression is not organ specific but cell type specific. The different regulation of anion exchange in parietal and mucous cells suggests that AE2 subtypes may be differentially regulated.

Gastric prostacyclin (PGI2) prevents stress-induced gastric mucosal injury in rats primarily by inhibiting leukocyte activation

We investigated whether, in rats, gastric prostacyclin (PGI2) prevented gastric mucosal injury that was induced by water-immersion restraint stress by inhibiting leukocyte activation. Gastric levels of 6-keto-PGF1alpha, a stable metabolite of PGI2, increased transiently 30 min after stress, followed by a decrease to below the baseline 6-8 h after stress. Gastric mucosal blood flow decreased to approximately 40% of the baseline level 8 h after stress. Myeloperoxidase activity was significantly increased 8 h after stress. Treatment with indomethacin before stress inhibited the increase in 6-keto-PGF1alpha levels and markedly reduced mucosal blood flow. It also markedly increased leukocyte accumulation and mucosal lesion formation. Iloprost, a stable PGI2 analog, inhibited the indomethacin-induced decrease in mucosal blood flow, mucosal lesion exacerbation, and increase in leukocyte accumulation. Nitrogen mustard-induced leukocytopenia inhibited the indomethacin-associated lesion exacerbation and the increase in leukocyte accumulation, but not the decreases in mucosal blood flow. These observations indicate that gastric PGI2 decreases gastric mucosal lesion formation primarily by inhibiting leukocyte accumulation.

Different acid secretagogues activate different Na+/H+ exchanger isoforms in rabbit parietal cells

Rabbit parietal cells express three Na+/H+ exchanger isoforms (NHE1, NHE2, and NHE4). We investigated the effects of carbachol, histamine, and forskolin on Na+/H+ exchange activity and acid formation in cultured rabbit parietal cells and tested the effect of NHE isoform-specific inhibition on agonist-induced Na+/H+ exchange. Carbachol (10(-4) M) was the weakest acid secretagogue but caused the strongest Na+/H+ exchange activation, which was completely blocked by 1 microM HOE-642 (selective for NHE1); histamine (10(-4) M) and forskolin (10(-5) M) were stronger stimulants of [14C]aminopyrine accumulation but weaker stimulants of Na+/H+ exchange activity. HOE-642 (1 microM) reduced forskolin-stimulated Na+/H+ exchange activity by 35%, and 25 microM HOE-642 (inhibits NHE1 and -2) inhibited an additional 13%, but 500 microM dimethyl amiloride (inhibits NHE1, -2, and -4) caused complete inhibition. The presence of 5% CO2-HCO-3 markedly reduced agonist-stimulated H+ efflux rates, suggesting that the anion exchanger is also activated. Hyperosmolarity also activated Na+/H+ exchange. Our data suggest that, in rabbit parietal cells, Ca2+-dependent stimulation causes a selective activation of NHE1, whereas cAMP-dependent stimulation activates NHE1, NHE2, and more strongly NHE4. Because intracellular pH (pHi) did not change in the presence of CO2-HCO-3 and concomitant activation of Na+/H+ and anion exchange is one of the volume regulatory mechanisms, we speculate that the physiological significance of secretagogue-induced Na+/H+ exchange activation may not be related to pHi but to volume regulation during acid secretion.

Prostaglandins inhibit secretion of histamine and pancreastatin from isolated rat stomach ECL cells

1. The present study examines the effect of naturally occurring prostanoids and prostaglandin (PG) congeners on gastrin- and pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP)-evoked histamine and pancreastatin secretion from isolated rat stomach ECL cells. 2. ECL cells (75-85% purity) were isolated from rat stomach using pronase digestion followed by repeated counter-flow elutriation and cultured for 48 h before secretion experiments. The release of histamine and pancreastatin was determined by radioimmunoassay. 3. None of the PGs tested stimulated the release of either histamine or pancreastatin. 4. PGE1 and PGE2 inhibited both gastrin- and PACAP-evoked histamine and pancreastatin secretion (IC50 = 1-2 x 10(-10) M). Most other naturally occuring prostanoids and PG congeners had no or little inhibitory effect. The PGE analogues misoprostol and sulprostone were more potent (IC50 = 0.9 x 10(-11) M and 2 x 10(-11) M respectively) than PGE1 and PGE2. The rank order of potency was misoprostol > sulprostone > PGE1 = PGE2, suggesting the involvement of the so-called EP3 receptor. 5. The effects of PGs on the stomach ECL cells may be direct or indirect, for instance through the stimulated release of somatostatin from contaminating D cells (2-3%). However, the amount of somatostatin in the cell culture after 48 h was below the limit of detection, and somatostatin immunoneutralization did not prevent misoprostol from inhibiting secretion from the ECL cells. 6. The misoprostol-induced inhibition was reversed by pertussis toxin suggesting the involvement of G-protein subunits G alpha(0) and/or G alpha(i). 7. In view of the potency by which PGE1, PGE2, misoprostol and sulprostone inhibited the stimulated release of histamine and pancreastatin, we suggest that the ECL cells represent a primary target for prostaglandins acting via an EP3 receptor in the oxyntic mucosa. 8. The results suggest that the clinically useful effect of misoprostol as an anti-ulcer drug reflects its ability to inhibit stomach ECL-cell histamine secretion.

Short-term inhibitory effect of somatostatin on gastric histamine synthesis

In this study we investigated the short-term effect of somatostatin on histamine synthesis in a cell population isolated from rabbit gastric mucosa and enriched in enterochromaffin-like cells. Somatostatin inhibited basal and gastrin-stimulated histamine synthesis through a dual mechanism involving a decrease in the affinity of histidine decarboxylase (HDC) for its substrate (L-histidine) and a reduction in the number of functional HDC molecules. H-89 (an inhibitor of cAMP-dependent protein kinase) mimicked somatostatin-induced reduction of HDC affinity, which, on the contrary, was selectively reversed by pertussis toxin (PTX). Furthermore, forskolin was shown to reverse the inhibitory effect of H-89 and to prevent the somatostatin-induced reduction in HDC affinity for L-histidine. Thus, the somatostatin-induced reduction in affinity seems to involve a PTX-sensitive G protein and an inhibition of the cAMP-dependent pathway. On the other hand, the somatostatin-induced decrease in the number of functional HDC molecules seems to be PTX insensitive and independent from a modulation of the cAMP pathway, and does not seem to involve a significant change in HDC messenger RNA expression or a regulation of protein kinase C. The exact nature of this second mechanism will need further studies to be elucidated.

Immunocytochemical localization of cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 in the rat stomach

Prostaglandins are considered to play important roles in gastric mucosal protection. The rate-limiting enzyme involved in the biosynthesis of prostaglandins is cyclooxygenase (COX), also known as prostaglandin H synthase. Two forms of COX are known: a constitutively expressed form (COX-1) and a newly-characterized, inducible form (COX-2). In the present study, the immunocytochemical localization of COX-1 and COX-2 was examined in the rat gastrointestinal tract. A strong immunoreactivity for COX-1 was localized in the mucous neck cells of gastric gland. A weak reactivity for COX-1 was also found in the mucous cell types in the cardiac gland and pyloric gland of the stomach as well as in the Brunner's gland of duodenum. Ultrastructurally, the immunoreactivity was localized to the apical cytoplasm of these cells. On the other hand, immunoreactivity for COX-2 was distributed in the surface mucous cells in both the fundic and pyloric regions of stomach. These results suggest that a subset of mucous cells is the primary site for production of prostaglandins in the rat gastrointestinal tract, and that two forms of COX are expressed in distinct types of mucous cell.

Prevention of gastric ulcer or acute gastric mucosal lesions accompanying bleeding after abdominal aortic aneurysm surgery

We have previously reported that the decrease in gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF) and consumption coagulopathy (CC) mainly contribute to the development of postoperative bleeding in the upper gastrointestinal (GI) tract in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). In the present study, we investigated whether our treatment for patients with low GMBF or CC effectively prevented postoperative gastric bleeding induced by gastric ulcer or acute gastric mucosal lesion. Preoperative endoscopic examinations in 66 patients with AAA and 60 patients with arteriosclerosis obliterance (ASO) revealed that 50.0% of AAA and 16.6% of ASO patients had accompanying gastric ulcer or multiple erosions. In 38 AAA and 36 ASO patients, GMBF was measured using a laser Doppler flowmeter through an endoscope. The GMBF was severely impaired in AAA patients and moderately impaired in ASO patients. The platelet counts and fibrinogen levels were significantly decreased in these 38 AAA patients compared with controls. Furthermore, fibrinogen degeneration product (FDP) levels in 36.8% of AAA patients were more than 20 micrograms/dl. Based on these findings, patients with low GMBF were treated postoperatively with H2-blocker, and patients with CC were treated preoperatively with heparin. After these treatments, only 1 of 38 AAA patients developed postoperative upper GI tract bleeding and could be treated conservatively after 1988, whereas in prior years postoperative upper GI tract bleeding developed in 7 of 112 patients, three of whom required emergency surgery.

Characterization of gamma- and delta-subunits of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II in rat gastric mucosal cell populations

We searched for the occurrence of a Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase in rat gastric cell types as a likely member in the chain of gastrin- and muscarinic-receptor-mediated signal transmission. A Ca(2+)- and calmodulin-dependent phosphorylation of major 50, 60 and 100 kDa substrates was observed in parietal cell cytosol and a major 60 and 61 kDa protein doublet was found to bind 125I-calmodulin in 125I-calmodulin-gel overlays. A specific substrate of the multifunctional Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II, autocamtide II, was phosphorylated in a calmodulin-dependent manner. The specific inhibitor of this enzyme, KN-62, antagonized protein kinase activity. RNA extracted from gastric mucosal cells was shown to contain sequences of the gamma- and delta- but not alpha- and beta-subunits of the calmodulin-dependent kinase II, and mRNA of both subtypes was demonstrated in highly purified parietal, chief and mucous cells. A calmodulin-dependent kinase II composed of gamma- and delta-subunits is a likely mediator of Ca(2+)-dependent signal transmission in these populations of gastric cells.

In situ hybridization and localization of mRNA for the rabbit prostaglandin EP3 receptor

The physiological effects of PGE2 appear to be mediated by at least three different "E-prostanoid" receptors designated EP1,EP2, and EP3. These receptors are differentially activated by structural PGE analogs (such as misoprostol) and each couples to a different signal transduction mechanism. Studies demonstrating that inhibition of water absorption in the collecting duct is mediated by a Gi coupled mechanism, suggests that an EP3 receptor is involved the renal effects of PGE2. We used in situ hybridization to determine the tissue distribution of the rabbit EP3 receptor. [alpha-35S] UTP labeled antisense RNA, comprising transmembrane domains IV through VII, was hybridized to tissue sections. Specific labeling of kidney, stomach and adrenal was observed. In the kidney, medullary thick ascending limb and cortical and medullary collecting ducts were intensely labeled, while no labeling of glomeruli, proximal tubules, or cortical thick ascending limbs was observed. The adrenal gland labeled exclusively in the medulla. In the stomach the gastric epithelial crypts were the predominant site of hybridization, without evidence of labeling of the smooth muscle. These results suggest an important role for the EP3 receptor in mediating PGE2 effects in these tissues.

Expression of prostaglandin E2 receptor in hamster buccal pouch: effect of benzo (a) pyrene and nicotine

Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) plays an important role in the maintenance of oral mucosal integrity. In this study, we characterized PGE2 receptor binding in the buccal mucosa of Syrian hamster and assessed the effect of nicotine (NC) and benzo (a) pyrene (BP), the two major ingredients in cigarette smoke, on this receptor. Adult male animals were treated for 4 weeks by apical swabbing of the buccal pouch with corn oil (control, C), 1 mM NC, BP, or NC + BP in corn oil, twice a day, 5 days a week. The results obtained with the untreated group revealed the presence of a specific PGE2 receptor consisting of two binding sites (high affinity with Kd = 1.52 nM and Bmax = 37 fmol/mg protein and low affinity with Kd = 813 nM and Bmax = 1.29 pmol/mg protein). The treatment with NC, BP, and NC + BP caused a significant decrease in PGE2 receptor binding (specific binding: 10.20 +/- 0.42, 6.84 +/- 1.32**, 6.58 +/- 0.67** and 5.88 +/- 1.03** fmol/mg protein; C, NC, BP, and NC+BP, respectively; Mean +/- SD, n = 5, **p < 0.01). The data suggest that decreased receptor binding for PGE2 in the buccal mucosa may be the cause for the adverse effect of cigarette smoke on the health of oral mucosa.

Negative feedback regulation of acid secretion: linkage of acid secretion and mucosal defense

To regulate inappropriate or excessive acid secretion that may be harmful not only to surrounding mucosal cells but also parietal cells themselves, versatile mechanisms operate to control acid secretion. In this article elaborate mechanisms that participate in the control of acid secretion are described with our data and a review of relevant findings in the literature concerning the action or secretion of key regulatory molecules. The analysis of the regulatory mechanisms revealed that appropriate secretory control can be achieved by multiple feedback regulations, which are closely coordinated with mucosal defense. In the feedback circuits, the regulatory factors cannot be simply categorized into either aggressive or defensive factors. Therefore we propose that the mucosal integrity and tissue homeostasis would be better understood by a feedback loop model rather than by a dualistic balance model.

Gastric prostaglandin E2 receptors are the common antisecretory target of mucosal prostanoids

The gastric mucosa produces all principal prostaglandin (PG) types, but receptor binding studies in this tissue have as yet been performed exclusively with [3H]PGE2. Therefore we compared the binding of different 3H-labelled prostanoids to fundic mucosal plasma membranes from the porcine stomach. Binding sites for [3H]PGE2, [3H]iloprost and [3H]PGF2 alpha had similar nanomolar dissociation constants with high affinities for unlabelled PGE2. Iloprost and PGF2 alpha were 10- and 100-fold less potent competitors with Hill slopes near unity in all cases. In further [3H]PGE2 competition studies the affinities of prostanoid ligands with selectivity for different PG receptor types correlated closely with their respective antisecretory potencies, as tested by [14C]aminopyrine uptake in isolated porcine parietal cells. We conclude that parietal cell PGE2 receptors are the common antisecretory target for all prostanoid types in the porcine stomach. There was no evidence for other mucosal PG receptors possibly involved in acid secretion.

PGE2 regulates cholecystokinin-octapeptide (CCK-8)-stimulated Cl- conductance in isolated zymogen granules from rat pancreas

In this study we have examined the effects of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), the cyclooxygenase inhibitor, indomethacin, and a protein kinase A inhibitor (PKA-I) on the Cl- conductance in isolated zymogen granules (ZG) from cholecystokinin octapeptide (CCK-8) pre-stimulated pancreatic acini. The Cl- conductance in isolated ZG from CCK-8 pre-stimulated rat pancreatic acini increases with increasing CCK-8 concentrations and decreases at supramaximal CCK-8 concentrations. The basal and CCK-8-stimulated Cl- conductance in ZG is inhibited by pretreatment of acini with PGE2 (10(-6) M). This PGE2-induced inhibition is abolished in the presence of PKA-I (20 U/ml). Furthermore, pretreatment of acini with indomethacin (10(-5) M) or PKA-I (20 U/ml) abolishes the decrease in the CL- conductance at supramaximal CCK-8 concentrations (10(-9) M). We conclude that the inhibition of the CL- conductance in isolated ZG at high CCK-8 concentrations is mediated by an enhanced production of PGE2, and that PGE2 operates by stimulating adenylate cyclase (AC) with a consequent rise in cAMP and activation of PKA.

The formation of gastric ulcers with a tendency to hemorrhage in association with aortic aneurysms

It is widely accepted that patients with aortic aneurysm (AA) show a higher incidence of peptic ulcers than those without. However, the pathogenesis of peptic ulcers associated with AA remains obscure. We measured the gastric mucosal blood flow (GMBF) endoscopically and also determined the gastric mucosal prostaglandin (PG) levels of these AA patients to investigated the mechanism behind gastric ulcer formation. Moreover, we investigated the consumption coagulopathy (CC) of AA responsible for inducing the hemorrhage from ulcers. The GMBF values of 7 AA cases, taken at the antrum, angle and corpus, were significantly decreased compared with those of control cases, while the PGE2 levels of the gastric mucosa were also significantly reduced. With regard to CC, the serum levels of fibrinogen or platelets were significantly lower than those of the control group. These results indicate that the decrease in GMBF, followed by the reduction in endogenous PG, might contribute to the gastric ulcer formation in AA patients, and that CC associated with AA could be an important factor causing the hemorrhage from these ulcers. AA patients should therefore be treated with focusing attention on the possibility of an associated ulcer and ulcer bleeding.

Prostaglandin E2 receptor of rat submandibular salivary glands

The binding characteristics of the PGE2 receptor were investigated in membrane preparations from these glands. Specific [3H]PGE2 binding was linear as a function of the membrane protein concentration and reached steady state by 40 min of incubation at 37 degrees C under neutral pH. Scatchard analysis of the binding data produced a curvilinear plot with a Kd of 0.18 nM and Bmax of 1.02 fmol/mg protein for the high-affinity binding sites, and a Kd of 181 nM and Bmax of 5.72 pmol/mg protein for the low-affinity binding sites. A competitive displacement study indicated that the receptor was specific for prostaglandins of the E series. The study is the first to demonstrate the presence of the PGE2 receptor in rat submandibular gland and to provide its biochemical features.

Modulation of 3H-prostaglandin E2 binding sites in the rabbit gastric mucosa

The binding of 3H-prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) to rabbit gastric mucosa was investigated. Binding depended on incubation time, temperature and pH, and was saturable and reversible. Scatchard plot analysis revealed a single class of binding sites with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 5.33 +/- 0.21 nM and a maximum number of binding sites (Bmax) of 138.1 +/- 3.4 fmol/mg protein. PGE1 and 16,16-dimethyl PGE2 potently competed with 3H-PGE2 for the binding sites of gastric mucosa, whereas PGA2, PGF2 alpha, 6-keto PGF1 alpha and thromboxane B2 were less potent. The gastric mucosa prepared from the rabbits given indomethacin (5 mg/kg s.c. three times) showed a lower Kd (2.47 +/- 0.19 nM) for 3H-PGE2 than that from untreated one. Treatment with a PGE1 analog, misoprostol (320 micrograms/kg s.c. three times) lowered the Bmax to 74.1 +/- 2.4 fmol/mg protein without any significant effect on the Kd value. It is concluded that rabbit gastric mucosa has specific binding sites for 3H-PGE2 which may be modulated by the levels of PGs in vivo.

Characterization of gastric mucosal prostaglandin E2 receptor

1. The binding characteristics of gastric mucosal prostaglandin (PG) E2 (PGE2) receptor were investigated using mucosal cell membranes from rat stomach. The binding was found to be dependent upon PGE2 and membrane protein concentration, the time of incubation and the pH of the mixture, being highest at pH 3.0. 2. Scatchard analysis of the binding data revealed a curvilinear plot with high affinity binding (Kd = 2 nM; Bmax = 0.106 pmol/mg protein) and low affinity binding (Kd = 319 nM; Bmax = 2.262 pmol/mg protein) sites. 3. Competitive displacement study indicated that the receptor was specific for PGs of the E series, as PGF2 alpha and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha failed to displace the PGE2. 4. The study is the first report to provide biochemical parameters of specific PGE receptors in rat gastric mucosa.