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Abstract
The distribution of pepsinogen 11 and agmatine has been studied in human oesophageal and gastric biopsies in normal patients and patients with a hiatus hernia having gastro-oesophageal reflux. Pepsinogen 11 has been found in the chief cells of the stomach, gastric gland lumen, gastric lumen and the parietal cell canaliculi but minimal amounts have been found in the oesophageal biopsies.
There is considerable agmatine in the gastric mucosa particularly at the site of the gastric mucus. This agmatine would provide an acid-protective mechanism. There is no equivalent layer of agmatine in the oesophagus which leaves the oesophageal mucosa vulnerable to damage when exposed to gastric acid. The damaged oesophageal epithelium does have some agmatine at the intercellular junctions and in the cytoplasm of some oesophageal epithelial cells in the prickle cell layer. The oesophageal agmatine in the damaged epithelium is minimal when compared to the amount in the normal gastric mucosa. The role of agmatine in tissue protection with reference to gastro-oesophageal reflux is discussed.
Keywords: Oesophagus, gastric reflux, agmatine, pepsinogen.
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