[Total peptic activity in gastric juice and peptic cell mass (chief fundic cells and mucopeptic fundic-antral cells): cellular-secretory correlations in normal subjects].

The aim of this experience has been to evaluate cytosecretory correlations between total peptic activity in gastric juice and gastric peptic cell mass (chief cells and fundic-antral mucopeptic cells) in normal subjects. Gastric peptic cell mass and total peptic activity do not change depending on sex. Concerning age, in spite of a significant decrease of gastric peptic cell mass, peptic activity does not significantly decrease. This apparent disagreement between decreasing anatomic data and functional data, remaining unchanged, may be explained by analyzing the behaviour of fundic and antral peptic cell masses in detail. A difference emerges in the behaviour of chief and mucopeptic cells. The first decrease significantly after 50 years, while the second ones do not show variations, regardless of their fundic and antral location. In particular, fundic mucopeptic cell component increase, but not significantly. The lack of variation in peptic activity in gastric juice after 50 years may be assumed to be connected with the unchanged integrity of mucopeptic cells.