Enterochromaffin-like cell

Enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells are located mainly in the body and bottom of the fundus (synonymous with the main ) glands of the stomach, adjacent to the parietal cells . ECL cells account for 35% of all neuroendocrine cells of a healthy person’s stomach . The fundamental glands in which the ECL cells are located make up the bulk of the glands of the bottom, body and intermedia of the stomach. ECL cells have a wide variety of shapes. ^{[1] [2]} In a healthy person, 0.1 mm² of the mucous membrane of the antrum contains 5.6 ± 0.4 ECL cells. ^[3]

Enterochromaffin-like cells in the stomach produce histamine, which stimulates the secretion of hydrochloric acid by parietal cells and pepsinogen by the main cells, and also dilates the blood vessels. ^[one]

Enterochromaffin-like cells have gastrin membrane receptors , the effect of which increases histamine secretion. Acetylcholine , a pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (PACAP), are stimulants of histamine secretion.

Inhibitors of histamine secretion are somatostatin , peptide Y1, galanin and histamine.

In addition to histamine, enterochromaffin-like cells secrete a peptide called substance P , as well as pancreastatin , which is obtained from chromogranin A. The stimulator of the latter process is gastrin. In addition, there are studies that claim that enterochromaffin-like cells also secrete calbindin , growth factors bFGF and TGFa, glycoprotein hormones , enterogastrin ^[4]

Hypergastrinemia (the presence of gastrin in the body is higher than normal) can cause focal hyperplasia of ECL cells and the development of malignant carcinoid from these cells. ^[five]

With prolonged, for several years, continuous use of proton pump inhibitors of the omeprazole , lansoprazole and pantoprazole groups in some patients, a reversible increase in the density of ECL cells is noted. The risk of developing ECL cell nodular hyperplasia becomes especially high in cases where the level of serum gastrin exceeds 500 pg / ml. ^[6]

Enterochromaffin-like cells were discovered in the 1960s by the Swedish researcher R. Thunberg ( Swede R. Thunberg ). ^[7] Tunberg, using the fluorescence method, found a high concentration of histamine in the area of ​​parietal cells and a low concentration in the submucosal layer. He noted that next to the parietal cells were cells that differed in their ability to stain from histamine-containing mast cells , which are widely represented in the submucosal layer. These histamine-containing cells are called enterochromaffin-like cells (ECL cells) because of their similarity to enterochromaffin cells . ^{[4] [8]}