BACKGROUND & AIMS: There is conflicting evidence concerning whether muscarinic regulation of gastrin release in humans is a direct or indirect effect on antral G cells. The present experiments were designed to resolve this question using an isolated human G-cell preparation. METHODS: The ability of muscarinic agonists to stimulate or inhibit gastrin release was assessed with or without an immunoneutralizing somatostatin antibody or an m3 receptor antagonist. The effect of secretogogues on G and D cells was monitored by intracellular calcium imaging. RESULTS: Muscarinic agonists failed to stimulate gastrin release, even after the removal of somatostatin-induced inhibition. Our group has previously shown that muscarinic agonists stimulated somatostatin release from antral D cells. Methacholine (100 mumol/L) increased intracellular calcium levels in cocultured D cells; this increase was inhibited by the m3 receptor antagonist 4-diphenylacetoxy-n-methylpiperidine methiodide. Gastrin cells in the same field of view lacked a response to methacholine but showed a clear response to 10 nmol/L bombesin. CONCLUSIONS: The experiments indicate that vagal control of gastrin release in humans is indirect; stimulation would be achieved by the activation of intrinsic gastrin-releasing peptide neurons, and inhibition would be via the paracrine action of somatostatin released from adjacent D cells.
BACKGROUND & AIMS: There is conflicting evidence concerning whether muscarinic regulation of gastrin release in humans is a direct or indirect effect on antral G cells. The present experiments were designed to resolve this question using an isolated human G-cell preparation. METHODS: The ability of muscarinic agonists to stimulate or inhibit gastrin release was assessed with or without an immunoneutralizing somatostatin antibody or an m3 receptor antagonist. The effect of secretogogues on G and D cells was monitored by intracellular calcium imaging. RESULTS: Muscarinic agonists failed to stimulate gastrin release, even after the removal of somatostatin-induced inhibition. Our group has previously shown that muscarinic agonists stimulated somatostatin release from antral D cells. Methacholine (100 mumol/L) increased intracellular calcium levels in cocultured D cells; this increase was inhibited by the m3 receptor antagonist 4-diphenylacetoxy-n-methylpiperidine methiodide. Gastrin cells in the same field of view lacked a response to methacholine but showed a clear response to 10 nmol/L bombesin. CONCLUSIONS: The experiments indicate that vagal control of gastrin release in humans is indirect; stimulation would be achieved by the activation of intrinsic gastrin-releasing peptide neurons, and inhibition would be via the paracrine action of somatostatin released from adjacent D cells.