Summary
With the use of an anti-human S-100 protein antibody, it was possible to reveal a characteristic cell type in the anterior lobe of the normal human pituitary. These cells, so-called folliculo-stellate cells, were present in all pituitaries studied but their number varied from one gland to another. Immunoreactive cells, isolated or grouped, were arranged close to various secretory granulated cells. Especially by use of double immunoenzymatic labeling, it was evident that these cells are spatially related either to somatotropes, prolactin cells and “corticotropes”, or to glycoprotein-containing cells. Such immunoreactive cells were rare or absent in pseudo-follicular arrangements of secretory granulated cells. Since it is now possible to identify this cell type by light microscopy and since no reliable functional significance is known, it seems more advisable to term this cell type “stellate cell” instead of “folliculostellate cell”.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Benjamin M (1981) Cysts (large follicles) and colloid in pituitary glands. Gen Comp Endocrinol 45:425–445
Bergland RM, Torack RM (1969) An ultrastructural study of follicular cells in the human anterior pituitary. Am J Pathol 57:273–286
Ciocca DR, Rodriguez EM, Cuello CA (1979) Comparative lightand electron microscopical study of the normal adenohypophysis in the human. Acta Anat (Basel) 103:83–99
Ciocca DR, Puy LA, Stati AO (1984) Constitution and behaviour of follicular structures in the human anterior pituitary gland. Am J Pathol 115:165–174
Cocchia D (1981) Immunocytochemical localization of S-100 protein in the brain of adult rat. Cell Tissue Res 214:529–540
Cocchia D, Miani N (1980) Immunocytochemical localization of the brain specific S-100 protein in the pituitary gland of adult rat. J Neurocytol 19:771–782
Cocchia D, Michetti F (1981) S-100 antigen in satellite cells of the adrenal medulla and the superior cervical ganglion of the rat. An immunochemical and immunocytochemical study. Cell Tissue Res 215:103–112
Cocchia D, Michetti F, Donato R (1981) Immunochemical and immunocytochemical localization of S-100 antigen in normal human skin. Nature (Lond) 294:85–87
Cocchia D, Tiberio G, Santarelli R, Michetti F (1983a) S-100 protein in “follicular dendritic” cells of rat lymphoid organs. An immunochemical and immunocytochemical study. Cell Tissue Res 230:95–103
Cocchia D, Polak JM, Terenghi G, Battaglia F, Stolfi V, Gangitano C, Michetti F (1983b) Localisation of S-100 protein in Müller cells of the retina. 2. Electron microscopical immunocytochemistry. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 24:980–984
Curé M, Gerry H, Girod C (1971) Observations sur les structures pseudo-folliculaires du lobe antérieur de l'hypophyse chez plusieurs espèces de Mammifères et chez l'Homme. CR Séances Soc Biol Paris 165:1616–1619
Deaton PC, Dugger GS (1972) The ultrastructure of the nonadenomatous anterior lobe of the pituitary gland in man. Surg Gyn Obst 135:901–907
De Vitry F, Picart R, Jacques C, Legault L, Dupouey P, Tixier-Vidal A (1980) Presumptive common precursor for neuronal and glial cell lineages in mouse hypothalamus. Proc Natl Acad Sci (USA) 77:4165–4169
Eng LF, Bigbee J (1978) Immunohistochemistry of nervous system specific antigens. In: Agranoff BW, Aprison MH (eds) Advances in neurochemistry, vol 3. Plenum Press, New York, pp 43–98
Farquhar MG (1957) “Corticotrophs” of the rat adenohypophysis as revealed by electron microscopy. Anat Rec 127:191
Ferri GL, Probert L, Cocchia D, Michetti F, Marangos PJ, Polak JM (1982) Evidence for the presence of S-100 protein in the glial component of the human enteric nervous system. Nature (Lond) 297:409–410
Foncin JF, LeBeau J (1964) Identification au microscope électronique des cellules adrénocorticotropes de l'hypophyse humaine. C R Séances Soc Biol Paris 158:2276–2279
Fukuda T (1973) Agranular stellate cells (so-called follicular cells) in human fetal and adult adenohypophysis and in pituitary adenoma. Virchows Arch [Pathol Anat] 359:19–30
Ghandour MS, Langley OK, Labourbette G, Vincendon G, Gambos G (1981) Specific and artefactual localization of S-100 protein: an astrocyte marker in rat cerebellum. Dev Neurosci 4:66–78
Girod C, Dubois MP (1977) Unpublished observations. Quoted in: Girod C (1977) Apport de l'immunohistochimie à l'étude cytologique de l'adénohypophyse. Bull Assoc Anat (Nancy) 62:417–603
Girod C, Durand N (1985) Immunocytochemical localization of S-100 protein in interstitial cells of the monkey Macaca irus pineal gland. Neurosci Lett (in press)
Girod C, Lhéritier M (1981) Ultrastructure des cellules folliculostellaires de la pars distalis de l'hypophyse chez le Spermophile (Citellus variegatus Erxleben), le Graphiure (Graphiurus murinus Desmaret), et le Hérisson (Erinaceus europaeus Linnaeus). Gen Comp Endocrinol 43:105–122
Hara K, Ito M, Takeuchi J, Iijima S, Endo T, Hidaka H (1983) Distribution of S-100b protein in normal salivary glands and salivary gland tumors. Virchows Arch [Pathol Anat] 401:237–249
Hidaka H, Endo T, Kawamoto S, Yamada E, Umekawa H, Tanabe K, Hara K (1983) Purification and characterization of adipose tissue S-100b protein. J Biol Chem 258:2705–2709
Highley HR, McNulty JA, Rowden G (1984) Glial fibrillary acidic protein and S-100 protein in pineal supportive cells: An electron microscopic study. Brain Res 304:117–120
Höfler H, Denk H, Walter GF (1984) Immunohistochemical demonstration of cytokeratins in endocrine cells of the human pituitary gland and in pituitary adenomas. Virchows Arch [Pathol Anat] 404:359–368
Horvath E, Kovacs K, Penz G, Ezrin C (1974) Origin, possible function and fate of “follicular cells” in the anterior lobe of the human pituitary. An electron microscopic study. Am J Pathol 77:199–206
Hydén H, Rönnbäck L (1975) S-100 on isolated neurons and glial cells from rat, rabbit and guinea pig during early postnatal development. Neurobiology 5:291–302
Ishikawa H, Nogami H, Shirasawa N (1983) Novel clonal strains from adult rat anterior pituitary producing S-100 protein. Nature (Lond) 303:711–713
Isobe T, Tsugita A, Okuyama T (1978) The amino-acid sequence and the subunit structure of bovine brain S-100 protein (PAP I-b). J Neurochem 30:921–923
Isobe T, Ishioka N, Okuyama T (1981) Structural relation of two S-100 proteins in bovine brain; subunit composition of S-100 a protein. Eur J Biochem 115:469–474
Isobe T, Ishioka N, Masuda T, Takahashi Y, Ganno S, Okuyama T (1983) A rapid separation of S-100 subunits by high performance liquid chromatography; the subunit composition of S-100 proteins. Biochem Intern 6:758–764
Iwanaga T, Fujita T (1984) Sustentacular cells in the fetal human adrenal medulla are immunoreactive with antibodies to brain S-100 protein. Cell Tissue Res 236:733–735
Iwanaga T, Fujita T, Masuda T, Takahashi Y (1982a) S-100 protein-immunoreactive cells in the lymph node and spleen of the rat. Arch Histol Jpn 45:393–397
Iwanaga T, Fujita T, Takahashi Y, Nakajima T (1982b) Meissner's and Pacinian corpuscules as studied by immunohistochemistry for S-100 protein, neuro-specific enolase and neurofilament protein. Neurosci Lett 31:117–121
Kimura S, Kato K, Semba R, Isobe T (1984) Regional distribution of S-100ao (αα), S-100a (αβ) and S-100b (ββ) in the bovine central nervous tissue determined with a sensitive enzyme immunoassay system. Neurochem Intern 6:513–518
Kondo H, Iwanaga T, Nakajima T (1982) Immunocytochemical study on the localization of neuro-specific enolase and S-100 protein in the carotid body of rats. Cell Tissue Res 227:291–295
Kondo H, Iwanaga T, Nakajima T (1983) An immunocytochemical study on the localization of S-100 protein in the retina of rats. Cell Tissue Res 231:527–532
Kuwano R, Usui H, Maeda T, Fukui T, Yamanari N, Ohtsuka E, Ikehara M, Takahashi Y (1984) Molecular cloning and the complete nucleotide sequence of cDNA to mRNA for S-100 protein of rat brain. Nucl Acid Res 12:7455–7466
Landolt AM (1975) Ultrastructure of human sella tumors. Acta Neurochir (Suppl) 22:1–167
Lawzewitsch I von, Dickmann GH, Amezual L, Pardal C (1972) Cytological and ultrastructural characterization of the human pituitary. Acta Anat (Basel) 81:286–316
Ludwin SK, Kosek JC, Eng LF (1976) The topographical distribution of S-100 and GFA proteins in the adult rat brain: an immunohistochemical study using horseradish peroxidase-labelled antibodies. J Comp Neurol 165:197–208
Matus A, Mughal S (1975) Immunohistochemical localization of S-100 protein in brain. Nature (Lond) 258:746–748
McEwen BS, Hydén H (1966) A study of specific brain proteins on the semimicroscale. J Neurochem 13:823–833
Michetti F, Cocchia D (1982) S-100-like immunoreactivity in a planarian. An immunochemical and immunocytochemical study. Cell Tissue Res 223:575–582
Michetti F, Dell'Anna E, Tiberio G, Cocchia D (1983) Immunochemical and immunocytochemical study of S-100 protein in rat adipocytes. Brain Res 262:352–356
Modlin RL, Rowden G, Taylor CR, Rea TH (1984) Comparison of S-100 and OKT6 antisera in human skin. J Invest Dermatol 83:206–209
Molin S-O, Rosengren L, Haglid K, Baudier J, Hamberger A (1984) Differential localization of “brain-specific” S-100 and its subunits in rat salivary glands. J Histochem Cytochem 32:805–814
Møller M, Ingild A, Bock E (1978) Immunohistochemical demonstration of S-100 protein and GFA protein in interstitial cells of rat pineal gland. Brain Res 140:1–13
Molnar ML, Stefansson K, Marton LS, Tripathi RC, Molnar GK (1984) Distribution of S-100 protein and glial fibrillary acidic protein in normal and gliotic human retina. Exp Eye Res 38:27–34
Moore BW (1965) A soluble protein characteristic of the nervous system. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 19:739–744
Moore BW, McGregor D (1965) Chromatographic and electrophoretic fractionation of soluble proteins of brain and liver. J Biol Chem 240:1647–1653
Nakajima T, Yamaguchi H, Takahashi K (1980) S-100 protein in folliculo-stellate cells of the rat pituitary anterior lobe. Brain Res 191:523–531
Nakajima T, Sato Y, Watanabe S, Shimosato Y, Ishihara K, Isobe T (1982a) Immunoelectron microscopical demonstration of S-100 protein in epidermal Langerhans cells. Biomed Res 3:226–231
Nakajima T, Watanabe S, Sato Y, Kameya T, Hirota T, Shimosato Y (1982b) An immunoperoxidase study of S-100 protein distribution in normal and neoplastic tissues. Am J Surg Pathol 6:715–727
Nakajima T, Watanabe S, Sato Y, Shimosato Y, Motoi M, Lennert K (1982c) S-100 protein in Langerhans cells, interdigitating reticulum cells and histiocytosis X cells. Gann 73:429–432
Paiz C, Hennigar GR (1970) Electron microscopy and histochemical correlation of human anterior pituitary cells. Am J Pathol 59:43–52
Purves HD (1961) Morphology of the hypophysis related to its function. In: Young WC (ed) Sex and internal secretions. Williams and Wilkins, Baltimore, pp 161–239
Rinehart JF, Farquhar MG (1953) Electron microscopic studies of the anterior pituitary gland. J Histochem Cytochem 1:93–113
Rinehart JF, Farquhar MG (1955) The fine vascular organization of the anterior pituitary gland. An electron microscopic study with histochemical correlations. Anat Rec 121:207–240
Salazar H (1968) Ultrastructural evidence for the existence of a non secretory, sustentacular cell in the human adenohypophysis. Anat Rec 160:419–420
Sano T, Hirose T, Hizawa K (1984) S-100 protein-immunoreactive cells in the lamina propria and carcinoid tumors of the appendix. Biomed Res 5:157–163
Shirasawa N, Kihara H, Yamaguchi S, Yoshimura F (1983) Pituitary folliculo-stellate cells immunostained with S-100 protein antiserum in postnatal, castrated and thyroidectomized rats. Cell Tissue Res 231:235–249
Shirasawa N, Yamaguchi S, Yoshimura F (1984) Granulated folliculo-stellate cells and growth hormone cells immunostained with anti-S 100 protein serum in the pituitary glands of the goat. Cell Tissue Res 237:7–14
Stefansson K, Wollmann RL, Moore BW (1982a) Distribution of S-100 protein outside the central nervous system. Brain Res 234:309–317
Stefansson K, Wollmann RL, Moore BW, Arnason BGW (1982b) S-100 protein in human chondrocytes. Nature (Lond) 295:63–64
Stewart JA (1972) Tissue specific brain S-100: A demonstration of multiple proteins. Biochem Biophys Acta 263:178–192
Suzuki F, Nakajima T, Kato K (1982) Peripheral distribution of nervous system-specific S-100 protein in rat. J Biochem 92:835–838
Sviridov SM, Korochkin LI, Ivanov VN, Maletskaya EI, Bakhtina TK (1972) Immunohistochemical studies of S-100 protein during postnatal ontogenesis of the brain of two strain of rats. J Neurochem 10:713–718
Tabuchi K, Kirsch WM (1975) Immunocytochemical localization of S-100 protein in neurons and glia of hamster cerebellum. Brain Res 92:175–180
Takahashi K, Yamaguchi H, Ishizeki J, Nakajima T, Nakazato Y (1981) Immunohistochemical and immunoelectron microscopic localization of S-100 protein in the interdigitating reticulum cells of the human lymph node. Virchows Arch [Cell Pathol] 37:125–135
Takahashi K, Isobe T, Ohtsuki Y, Sonobe H, Takeda I, Akagi T (1984a) Immunohistochemical localization of S-100 protein in the human lymphoreticular system. Am J Pathol 116:497–503
Takahashi K, Isobe T, Ohtsuki Y, Akagi T, Sonobe H, Okuyama T (1984b) Immunohistochemical study of the distribution of α and β of S-100 protein in human neoplasms and normal tissues. Virchows Arch [Cell Pathol] 45:385–396
Takahashi S, Iwanaga T, Takahashi Y, Nakano Y, Fujita T (1984c) Neuro-specific enolase, neurofilament protein and S-100 protein in the olfactory mucosa of human fetuses. An immunohistochemical study. Cell Tissue Res 238:231–234
Terenghi G, Cocchia D, Michetti F, Diani AR, Peterson T, Cole DF, Bloom SR, Polak JM (1983) Localisation of S-100 protein in Müller cells of the retina. 1. Light microscopical immunocytochemistry. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 24:976–980
Tramu G, Pilliez A, Léonardelli J (1978) An efficient method of antibody elution for the successive or simultaneous localization of two antigens by immunocytochemistry. J Histochem Cytochem 26:322–324
Uei U, Kanzaki M (1976) Ultrastructure of the “non-pathologic” human pituitary gland. Acta Pathol Jpn 26:191–203
Uemura K, Vincendon G, Gombos G, Mandel P (1971) Purification and some properties of S-100 protein fractions from sheep and pig brains. J Neurochem 18:429–438
Ushiki T, Iwanaga T, Masuda T, Takahashi T, Fujita T (1984) Distribution and ultrastructure of S-100-immunoreactive cells in the human thymus. Cell Tissue Res 235:509–514
Velasco ME, Roesmann U, Gambetti P (1982) The presence of glial fibrillary acidic protein in the human pituitary gland. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol 41:150–163
Vila-Porcile E (1972) Le réseau des cellules folliculo-stellaires et les follicules de l'adénohypophyse du rat (pars distalis). Z Zellforsch 129:328–369
Vila-Porcile E, Olivier L (1984) The problem of the folliculo-stellate cells in the pituitary gland. In: Motta PM (ed) Ultrastructure of endocrine cells and tissues. Martinus Nijhoff Publ. Boston, pp 64–76
Vila-Porcile E, Olivier L, Racadot O (1971) Cellules folliculaires du lobe antérieur de l'hypophyse humaine. Bull Assoc Anat (Nancy) 152:813
Watanabe S, Nakajima T, Shimosato Y, Shimamura K, Sakuma H (1983) T-zone histiocytes with S-100 protein: development and distribution in human fetuses. Acta Pathol Jpn 33:15–22
Yamaguchi H (1980) Studies on the immunohistochemical localization of S-100 and glial fibrillary acidic proteins in the rat nervous system and in human brain tumors. Brain Nerve (Tokyo) 32:1055–1064
Young BA (1975) Human pituitary ultrastructure of the pars distalis. IRCS Med Sci 3:9–10
Zomzely-Neurath CE, Walker WA (1980) Nervous system-specific proteins: 14–3–2 protein, neuron-specific enolase, and S-100 protein. In: Bradshaw RA, Schneider DM (eds) Proteins of the nervous system. Raven Press, New York, pp 1–57
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Girod, C., Trouillas, J. & Dubois, M.P. Immunocytochemical localization of S-100 protein in stellate cells (folliculo-stellate cells) of the anterior lobe of the normal human pituitary. Cell Tissue Res. 241, 505–511 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214569
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00214569