Diamine oxidase activity in gastric and duodenal mucosa of man and other mammals with special reference to the pyloric junction.

In the gastric mucosa of human subjects and of various mammals methylation was accepted as the main pathway of histamine catabolism. However, augmentation of gastric acid secretion by aminoguanidine, the strong inhibitor of diamine oxidase, indicated an influence of diamine oxidase activity on this secretory process. Therefore a careful reinvestigation of the occurrence of diamine oxidase activity was started from the distal duodenum in the direction of the cardia. In all species studied, diamine oxidase activity decreased from distal duodenum towards the pylorus. In dogs, landrace pigs and in human subjects the diamine oxidase activity clearly exceeded the pyloric borderline gradually becoming zero in corpus or fundus. In rabbits, however, and especially in mini-pigs no diamine oxidase activity was found beyond the pylorus. Among individuals gastric diamine oxidase activity showed a variable prevalence and could not be found regularly in all the subjects. In one patient with prepyloric ulcer a strong influence of pathophysiological processes on gastric diamine oxidase activity could be suspected. Thus, in every alteration of the gastric mucosa under experimental or clinical conditions also an alteration of gastric diamine oxidase activity should be taken into account.