Mucin metabolism in intestinal metaplasia of gastric mucosa

The incorporation of35SO4 and Glucose-3H has been autoradiographically investigated in human gastric mucosa, especially in intestinal metaplasia, applying in vivo local labelling method during the operation of gastro-intestinal tract. The fact that sulfated mucin is actively secreted in gastric mucosa of various animals is already known, but little about the mucin metabolism of human stomach itself. In intestinal metaplasia of human gastric mucosa, markedly high metabolism of sulfated mucin have been observed compared with its low metabolism in normal gastric mucosa. In detail observation of intestinal metaplasia, columnar cells, which were considered to be absorptive cells, play an active and primary roll in the production of mucin. The goblet cells are to be considered rather as retentive cells with a slow turnover of mucin. Intestinal metaplasia occuring in the pyloric gland are, is suggestive of adaptation ability of gastric mucin for the disturbed mucin metabolism of pyloric glands to protect the gastric mucosa.