Figure 1

Trefoil peptide expression in gastric tissue surrounding induced ulcers. Region 1: ulcer and 5 mm of surrounding margins; region 2: 5 to 15 mm from the ulcer margin; region 3: mucosa from the opposite (posterior) aspect of the antrum. Results given are the mean of three radioimmunoassays (RIA), expressed as picomoles of immunoreactivity per milligram of protein, where n = 5 to 8 rats/group. Zero, control; 2h, 2 hours after injury; 8h, 8 hours after injury; 2d, 2 days after injury; 4d, 4 days after injury; 12d, 12 days after injury; 24d, 24 days after injury; >6w, > 42 days after injury. A, Spasmolytic polypeptide (SP) peptide concentration in ulcer tissue and within 5 mm of the ulcer margins (region 1, black bars) rose 4 days after injury, remaining significantly elevated 42 days later. Elevated levels were also seen in tissue adjacent to this area (region 2, white bars) and even in distant tissue at the latest time studied (region 3, hatched bars). Ordinate is linear scale. B, Intestinal trefoil factor (ITF) peptide levels in all three regions trended to fall in the first 8 hours after injury. Levels in region 1 rose after day 4, significantly by day 12, and markedly thereafter (to approximately 200-fold at day 42). A “ripple effect” is apparent, with tissue on the opposite gastric wall (region 3) being significantly elevated 6 weeks after injury. Ordinate is logarithmic scale. C, Transforming growth factor α (TGFα) peptide was measured by RIA in tissues corresponding to those in A and B. Peak immunoreactivity was present in region 1 (black bars) and region 2 (white bars) by 2 to 8 hours after injury with values gradually falling thereafter (2 and 8 hours values in region 1 and 2 compared with baseline; n = 8, p < 0.05, t test). Ordinate is linear scale.