Gastrin injection and refeeding fasted rats are effective trophic stimuli for the oxyntic gland mucosa of the stomach. Neither stimulus increases detectable ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) activity in the tissue. Difluoromethylornithine (DFMO), a potent inhibitor of ODC, blocks the mucosal growth response, indicating that ODC activity is necessary for growth. Elevated levels of spermidine and spermine are detectable in the mucosa after gastrin administration. Using a highly specific, polyclonal antiserum to ODC, we determined that the enzyme is present in oxyntic gland mucosa confined to a narrow band of cells at the base of the gastric pits and openings of the glands. In antral mucosa, ODC is present throughout the lower 20% of the mucosa, which consists of the necks and pyloric glands. Using antiserum dilution techniques, we show that gastrin administration increases immunoreactive ODC in the oxyntic gland area but not in the antral mucosa, where it has no trophic effect. Elevated cellular content of ODC is apparent within 2 h after injection of gastrin, peaks at 4 h, and declines to basal levels by 12 h. Gastrin-stimulated increase in ODC is confined to the narrow band of cells in which low levels of the enzyme protein were detected in control animals. The decarboxylating activity detectable in oxyntic gland mucosal extracts is not inhibited by administration of DFMO or cycloheximide, each of which inhibits ODC activity in other tissues. Addition of unlabeled lysine to the decarboxylation assay reaction of oxyntic gland mucosa extract inhibits the decarboxylation of radiolabeled ornithine substrate. Thus it is likely that the stomach possesses nonspecific decarboxylase activity, which accounts for most of the measured activity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)