An immunohistochemical study on the distribution of endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract of the pig.

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Abstract
Regional distribution and relative frequency of endocrine cells were studied in fifteen portions of the porcine gastrointestinal tract by immunohistochemical methods. Twelve kinds of immunoreactive endocrine cells were identified in this study. In the stomach, 5-HT-, somatostatin-, gastrin-, methionine-enkephalin-Arg6-Gly7-Leu8 (M-ENK-8)-, glucagon- and bovine pancreatic polypeptide (BPP)-immunoreactive cells were detected. The first four cell types were predominant over the other types and were more numerous in the pyloric region than in the cardiac and fundic regions. In the small intestine, 5-HT-, somatostatin-, gastrin-, M-ENK-8-, motilin-, secretin-cholecystokinin (CCK)- and gastric inhibitory polypeptide (GIP)-immunoreactive cells were widely distributed and most numerous in the duodenum, while neurotensin- and glicentin-immunoreactive cells were predominant in the ileum. Glucagon- and BPP-immunoreactive cells were rarely seen in the small intestine. In the large intestine, 5-HT-, somatostatin- and glicentin-immunoreactive cells were widely distributed and most numerous in the rectum. Motilin-, glucagon- and BPP-immunoreactive cells were rarely seen in the large intestine. It is suggested that the distribution pattern of gut endocrine cells in pigs is the most similar to that in humans among the mammalian species so far reported.