Dog gastric lipase: Stimulation of its secretion in vivo and cytolocalization in mucous pit cells

Dog gastric lipase (DGL) secretion is stimulated in vivo by urecholine, pentagastrin, histamine, 16,16-dimethyl prostaglandin E2, and secretin. Under fasting conditions, DGL is irreversibly inactivated by gastric acid below pH 1.5; consequently, DGL output can be underestimated. This problem has been resolved by buffering the acid or by using an antisecretory drug such as omeprazole during stimulation. There is a clear parallelism between the secretion of DGL and of gastric mucus. This observation led to the present investigation of the cellular localization of DGL using immunofluorescence techniques. Results showed that DGL is cytolocalized in mucous pit cells of gastric glands. Pepsinogen is found in chief cells. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first description of an enzyme (gastric lipase) secreted by mucous-type gastric cells. In contrast to other species, gastric lipase of the dog is located in cardiac, fundic, and antral mucosae.