SUMMARY In duodenal ulceration the Alcian blue staining acid mucosubstances in goblet cells are reduced and the goblet cells themselves disappear. At the same time periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining neutral mucosubstances appear in the cells of the surface epithelium. These changes have been measured quantitatively with the help of a Vickers M86/0010 Scanning and Integrated Microdensitometer. During healing the changes are reversed. It is suggested that these changes suggest a metaplasia towards a gastric type mucosa as a protective response to the presence of ulceration.Mucosubstances in the human duodenum are normally secreted from goblet cells in the epithelium of the villi as well as from Brunners glands lying in the submucosa (Fig. 1)
Acid mucins in goblet cells of the duodenum, jejunum and ileum of neonates and infants with cystic fibrosis (CF) and without CF were measured by scanning microdensitometry after alcian blue staining according to the protocol of McCarthy and Reid (1963) which characterises four groups of acidic mucins. In CF infants over 6 mth of age, but not in controls, there was an increase along the gut from duodenum to ileum of both weakly acidic and strongly acidic sulphomucins. In the ileum the increase was in total mucins from 6 mth previously in the same CF patients and this difference could be accounted for by an increase of sialidase-resistant mucins. The increase in sulphomucins was more marked at the tip than at the base of the villi. In CF neonates there was significant difference in the quantities of acidic mucins. The question whether the mucins of CF are chemically abnormal or merely accumulated to an abnormal extent is probably best investigated by analysis of sialidase-resistant mucins and sulphomucins of the ileum and strongly acidic sulphomucins of the duodenum and jejunum in CF infants over 6 mth of age.
The effect of cystic fibrosis plasma on the net fluxes of 45Ca t and :"SO2 across the guinea-pig stomach and small intestine was investigated, using an automatic short-circuit current apparatus."' A significant increase in net fluxes across the stomach and small intestine for 4 Ca t in the presence of cystic fibrosis plasma compared with non-cystic fibrosis plasma was observed. There was an increase in net flux for ' SO,2across the stomach in the presence of cystic fibrosis plasma when compared with non-cystic fibrosis plasma. However, there was a more highly significant increase in net fluxes for 3"SO42across the small intestine in the presence of cystic fibrosis plasma when compared with non-cystic fibrosis plasma. The amount of 45Ca2+ activity retained by the stomach and small intestine is more highly significant in the presence of cystic fibrosis plasma than in the presence of non-cystic fibrosis plasma. The retention of 35S042activity by the stomach and small intestine in the presence of cystic fibrosis plasma when compared with non-cystic fibrosis plasma was also highly significant. These findings indicate that cystic fibrosis plasma increases the net fluxes and raises retention of 't'Ca2t and SO,2 in guinea-pig stomach and small intestine. College, Campden Hill Road, London W8 7AH.
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