Volume 32, Issue 12 e13944
ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Nutrient-sensing components of the mouse stomach and the gastric ghrelin cell

Maria Nunez-Salces

Maria Nunez-Salces

Vagal Afferent Research Group, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia

Centre of Research Excellence in Translating Nutritional Science to Good Health, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia

Nutrition, Diabetes & Gut Health, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia

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Hui Li

Hui Li

Vagal Afferent Research Group, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia

Centre of Research Excellence in Translating Nutritional Science to Good Health, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia

Nutrition, Diabetes & Gut Health, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia

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Christine Feinle-Bisset

Christine Feinle-Bisset

Centre of Research Excellence in Translating Nutritional Science to Good Health, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia

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Richard L. Young

Richard L. Young

Centre of Research Excellence in Translating Nutritional Science to Good Health, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia

Nutrition, Diabetes & Gut Health, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia

Intestinal Nutrient Sensing Group, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia

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Amanda J. Page

Corresponding Author

Amanda J. Page

Vagal Afferent Research Group, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia

Centre of Research Excellence in Translating Nutritional Science to Good Health, Adelaide Medical School, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia

Nutrition, Diabetes & Gut Health, Lifelong Health Theme, South Australian Health & Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), Adelaide, SA, Australia

Correspondence

Amanda J. Page, Vagal Afferent Research Group, Adelaide Medical School, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia.

Email: [email protected]

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First published: 14 July 2020
Citations: 12

Funding information

Maria Nunez-Salces was supported by an Adelaide Scholarship International (ASI) and a CRE in Translating Nutritional Science into Good Health Scholarship, Christine Feinle-Bisset by a National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (NHMRC) Senior Research Fellowship (grant 1103020, 2016-2021).

Abstract

Background

The ability of the gut to detect nutrients is critical to the regulation of gut hormone secretion, food intake, and postprandial blood glucose control. Ingested nutrients are detected by specific gut chemosensors. However, knowledge of these chemosensors has primarily been derived from the intestine, while available information on gastric chemosensors is limited. This study aimed to investigate the nutrient-sensing repertoire of the mouse stomach with particular emphasis on ghrelin cells.

Methods

Quantitative RT-PCR was used to determine mRNA levels of nutrient chemosensors (protein: G protein–coupled receptor 93 [GPR93], calcium-sensing receptor [CaSR], metabotropic glutamate receptor type 4 [mGluR4]; fatty acids: CD36, FFAR2&4; sweet/umami taste: T1R3), taste transduction components (TRPM5, GNAT2&3), and ghrelin and ghrelin-processing enzymes (PC1/3, ghrelin O-acyltransferase [GOAT]) in the gastric corpus and antrum of adult male C57BL/6 mice. Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess protein expression of chemosensors (GPR93, T1R3, CD36, and FFAR4) and their co-localization with ghrelin.

Key Results

Most nutrient chemosensors had higher mRNA levels in the antrum compared to the corpus, except for CD36, GNAT2, ghrelin, and GOAT. Similar regional distribution was observed at the protein level. At least 60% of ghrelin-positive cells expressed T1R3 and FFAR4, and over 80% expressed GPR93 and CD36.

Conclusions and Inferences

The cellular mechanisms for the detection of nutrients are expressed in a region-specific manner in the mouse stomach and gastric ghrelin cells. These gastric nutrient chemosensors may play a role modulating gastrointestinal responses, such as the inhibition of ghrelin secretion following food intake.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors have no conflict of interest.

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