Cellular localization of gastric intrinsic factor in the rat

Abstract

The distribution of carbonic anhydrase, pepsinogen, and intrinsic factor (IF) was studied in frozen sections of rat gastric mucosa using the method of Holter and Linderstrøm-Lang. Carbonic anhydrase activity was greatest in the sections nearest to the surface of the mucosa and less in the deeper regions of the glands. In contrast, the levels of both IF and pepsinogen were low at the surface and continued to increase to a maximum at the base of the gastric glands. The close correlation between the distribution of the concentrations of pepsinogen and IF suggests that the chief (zymogenic) cell may be the source of IF in the stomach of the rat. No IF was detected in human carcinoid tumor tissue. This absence of IF is consistent with the view that the argentaffine cell is not the source of IF.