Objective: To study the development mechanism of gastric metaplasia in the duodenum through the transplantation of a flap of duodenal wall with vascular pedicle to the stomach.
Methods: The pedicled duodenal wall flaps of Wistar rats were transplanted to their stomaches. After the operation the rats were killed at the 3th, 6th, 9th and 12th month respectively, and histological change of the duodenal wall grafts was observed with optical and electron microscopy.
Results: Gastric metaplasia was found in the mucosa of duodenal wall grafts transplanted to the stomach at the 6th, 9th and 12th month.
Conclusions: The formation of gastric metaplasia in the duodenal mucosa may be related to a change of the microenvironment around the tissues, and duodenal mucosa may differentiate into gastric epithelium by the decrease of pH value.