Histogenesis of gastric mucosa: a human foetal study

ABSTRACT Background The development of gastric mucosa and the precise description of cardia in developing foetus are still controversial. Hence, this research was conducted to study the histogenesis of gastric mucosa and time of appearance and distribution of its various cell types in developing foetuses of different gestational ages. Materials and Methods Ten aborted human foetal autopsy specimens of stomach of gestational ages 10–26 weeks were procured after informed consent. It was immersed fixed in 10% formalin and then sectioned and stained with Haematoxylin and Eosin, Periodic Acid Schiff’s, Bodian’s reducing Silver and PAS Toluidine blue Aurantia stain. Result Mucus and enteroendocrine cells were found to be the earliest differentiated cells, lining the gastric glands at 10 weeks and further differentiation of parietal and chief cells at 12 weeks. Basal coiling of the glands started at 14 weeks. As the age advanced appreciable differentiation of the gastric mucosa was observed as mucus cells lining the surface, pits and upper part of the gland. The enteroendocrine and chief cells in the base of glands and parietal cells were interspersed with other cell types. Parietal cells were sparse in whole stomach during 20–24 weeks and vanished from pylorus at 26 weeks. Conclusion The present study established the presence of cardiac mucosa and affirmed that cardiac glands are mixed glands containing both mucus and parietal cells. Pyloric mucosa was more developed with thicker mucosa and denser glands as compared to rest of the gastric region. Copyright © 2014, Indian Journal of Medical Specialities. Published by Reed Elsevier India Pvt. Ltd. All rights reserved.