Published online Oct 1, 1995. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v1.i1.37
Revised: August 5, 1995
Accepted: September 9, 1995
Published online: October 1, 1995
AIM: To investigate the pattern of distribution and ontogeny of motilin (MTL) in the human fetus.
METHODS: MTL concentrations were determined systematically, using radioimmunoassay, in the tissues of the central nervous system (CNS, six regions) and the digestive system (20 regions) in human fetuses.
RESULTS: The results showed a wide distribution of MTL in the tissues but at different concentrations. The MTL concentrations in the digestive system tended to be higher than those in the CNS, and the concentrations increased with the fetal age, especially in the digestive system. High concentrations of MTL were found in hypophysis (the earliest MTL generation region in the CNS), spinal cord and cerebellum; however, there were no significant differences among them. In the digestive system, MTL was detectable as early as 16th week in jejunum, duodenum, ileum, stomach, transverse colon, sigmoid colon, and rectum, while in other regions MTL was not detec until after the 23rd week. By the 24th week, MTL showed an adult distribution pattern in all of the tissues. In the digestive system tissue of different fetal ages, the highest MTL concentration was found in jejunum, followed by duodenum and ileum, and MTL was positively correlated with the fetal age. The MTL concentration in ileum was about 6-7 times higher than in the CNS. In addition, we detected MTL at a considerable concentration in the appendix for the first time.
CONCLUSION: The findings might help reveal distribution and ontogeny of MTL in fetuses.