Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Serotonin-storing cells of the chicken duodenum: light, fluorescence and electron microscopy, and immunohistochemistry

  • Published:
Cell and Tissue Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

In an attempt to identify duodenal endocrine cells emitting formaldehyde-induced fluorescence (FIF), chicken duodena were studied by combined fluorescence, ultrastructural, silver impregnation and immunohistochemical methods in the same or consecutive sections. Our results show that: (1) Almost all the cells emitting yellow fluorescence by both the Falck-Hillarp and the Furness methods exhibit an immunohistochemical reaction with serotonin (5-HT) antiserum. (2) Almost all cells radiating yellow fluorescence by the Furness method stain with toluidine blue in Epon-embedded sections but, by high-voltage electron microscopy, can be subdivided into two types of cell containing either small round or polymorphous types of granules. (3) In the sections from which resin had been removed, all the cells emitting yellow FIF show argentaffinity by the Singh method, but not all cells display argyrophilia with the Grimelius method. (4) Cells exhibiting both argyrophil and argentaffin reactions in deresined serial sections are also separated into two types of cell, containing either small spherical or polymorphous types of granules by conventional electron microscopy in thin sections. Therefore, chicken enterochromaffin cells emit yellow FIF, store 5-HT, show both argentaffinity and argyrophilia, but are ultrastructurally classified into two types of granule-containing cells which may be related to polypeptides coexisting with 5-HT.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abercrombie M (1946) Estimation of nuclear population from microtome sections. Anat Rec 94:239–247

    Google Scholar 

  • Ahlman H, Bhargava HN, Dahlström A, Larsson I, Newson B, Pettersson G (1981) On the presence of serotonin in the gut lumen and possible release mechanisms. Acta Physiol Scand 112:263–269

    Google Scholar 

  • Alumets J, Håkanson R, Sundler F, Chang KJ (1978) Leu-enkephalin-like material in nerves and enterochromaffin cells in the gut. An immunohistochemical study. Histochemistry 56:187–196

    Google Scholar 

  • Andrew A (1976) Intestinal endocrine cells of chicks around the time of hatching. Cell Tissue Res 172:541–551

    Google Scholar 

  • Barter R, Pearse AGE (1953) Detection of 5-hydroxytryptamine in mammalian enterochromaffin cells. Nature 172:810

    Google Scholar 

  • Dey RD, Hoffpauir J (1984) Ultrastructural immunocytochemical localization of 5-hydroxytryptamine in gastric enterochromaffin cells. J Histochem Cytochem 32:661–666

    Google Scholar 

  • Erspamer V, Asero B (1952) Identification of enteramine, the specific hormone of the enterochromaffin cell system, as 5-hydroxytryptamine. Nature 169:800–801

    Google Scholar 

  • Facer P, Polak JM, Jaffe BM, Pearse AGE (1979) Immunocytochemical demonstration of 5-hydroxytryptamine in gastrointestinal endocrine cells. Histochem J 11:117–121

    Google Scholar 

  • Falck B, Hillarp NÅ, Thieme G, Torp A (1962) Fluorescence of catechol amines and related compounds condensed with formaldehyde. J Histochem Cytochem 10:348–354

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Forssmann WG, Grube D (1971) Studien über die endokrinen Zellen des Magendarmtraktes. I. Histotopographische, fluoreszenzmikroskopische und ultrastrukturelle Untersuchungen an Katze und Ratte. Z Zellforsch 140:535–550

    Google Scholar 

  • Furness JB, Costa M, Wilson AJ (1977) Water-stable fluorophores, produced by reaction with aldehyde solutions, for the histochemical localization of catechol and indolethylamines. Histochemistry 52:159–170

    Google Scholar 

  • Grimelius L (1968) A silver nitrate stain for α2 cells in human pancreatic islets. Acta Soc Med Uppsala 73:243–270

    Google Scholar 

  • Häkanson R, Owman Ch, Sjöberg NO, Sporrong B (1970) Amine mechanisms in enterochromaffin and enterochromaffin-like cells of gastric mucosa in various mammals. Histochemie 21:189–220

    Google Scholar 

  • Heitz Ph, Polak J, Timson CM, Pearse AGE (1976) Enterochromaffin cells as the endocrine source of gastrointestinal substance P. Histochemistry 49:343–347

    Google Scholar 

  • Hoyt RF, Jr., Sorokin SP, Bartlett RA (1979) A simple fluorescence method for serotonin-containing endocrine cells in plastic-embedded lung, gut and thyroid gland. J Histochem Cytochem 27:721–727

    Google Scholar 

  • Ikeda H, Inugai H, Gotoh J (1971) Localization of monoamine containing fibers and cells in the alimentary canal of chickens. Jpn J Vet Sci 33:187–193

    Google Scholar 

  • Inokuchi H, Kawai K, Takeuchi Y, Sano Y (1982) Immunohistochemical demonstration of EC cells in rat gastrointestinal tract. Histochemistry 74:453–456

    Google Scholar 

  • Inokuchi H, Kawai K, Takeuchi Y, Sano Y (1983) Identification of EC cells in the human intestine: A comparative study between immunohistochemical and silver impregnation techniques. Histochemistry 79:9–16

    Google Scholar 

  • Kataoka K, Shimizu K, Yamamoto T, Ochi J (1979) Monoamine containing cells in the gastric mucosa of the kitten: A new method employing comparative fluorescence and electron microscopy on identical cells. Acta Histochem Cytochem 12:383–390

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobayashi S, Fujita T, Sasagawa T (1970) The endocrine cells of human duodenal mucosa. An electron microscope study. Arch Histol Jpn 31:477–494

    Google Scholar 

  • Kobayashi S, Iwanaga T, Fujita T, Yanaihara N (1980) Do enterochromaffin (EC) cells contain motilin? Arch Histol Jpn 43:85–98

    Google Scholar 

  • Larsson LI (1984) Evidence for anterograde transport of secretory granules in processes of gastric paracrine (somatostatin) cells. Histochemistry 80:323–326

    Google Scholar 

  • Larsson LI, Jørgensen LM (1978) Ultrastructural and cytochemical studies on the cytodifferentiation of duodenal endocrine cells. Cell Tissue Res 194:79–102

    Google Scholar 

  • Lundqvist M, Wilander E (1984) Small intestinal chromaffin cells and carcinoid tumours: A study with silver stains, formalininduced fluorescence and monoclonal antibodies to serotonin. Histochem J 16:1247–1256

    Google Scholar 

  • Mayor HD, Hampton JC, Rosario B (1961) A simple method for removing the resin from epoxy-embedded tissue. J Biophys Biochem Cytol 9:909–910

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mourre C, Calas A, Gonella J (1981) Radioautographic study of uptake and storage of indolamines in the rabbit enterochromaffin cells. Neurosci Lett 23:251–256

    Google Scholar 

  • Nichols DB, Cheng H, Leblond CP (1974) Variability of the shape and argentaffinity of the granules in the enteroendocrine cells of the mouse duodenum. J Histochem Cytochem 22:929–944

    Google Scholar 

  • Nihei K, Iwanaga T, Yanaihara N, Mochizuki T, Fujita T (1983) Preproenkephalin A occurs in the enterochromaffin (EC) cells of the porcine intestine: An immunocytochemical study using antisera to met-enkephalin-arg6-gly7-leu8 and to serotonin. Biomed Res 4:393–398

    Google Scholar 

  • Penttilä A (1966) Histochemical reactions of the enterochromaffin cells and the 5-hydroxytryptamine content of the mammalian duodenum. Acta Physiol Scand 69 [Suppl] 281:5–77

    Google Scholar 

  • Penttilä A (1968) Enterochromaffin cells in the chicken duodenum during prenatal development. Z Zellforsch 91:380–390

    Google Scholar 

  • Penttilä A (1969) Identification of enterochromaffin cells in adjacent Epon-embedded sections at light and electron microscopic levels. Z Zellforsch 102:193–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Rubin W, Schwartz B (1983) Identification of the serotonin-synthesizing endocrine cells in the rat stomach by electron microscopic radioautography and amine fluorescence. Gastroenterology 84:34–50

    Google Scholar 

  • Sano M (1975) Electron microscope study of endocrine cells and tumor cells in the glandular stomach of Praomys (Mastomys) natalensis. Arch Histol Jpn 38:237–258

    Google Scholar 

  • Sato T (1968) A modified method for lead staining of thin sections. J Electron Microsc 17:158–159

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Singh I (1964) A modification of the Masson-Hamperl method for staining of argentaffin cells. Anat Anz 115:81–82

    Google Scholar 

  • Sjölund K, Sandén G, Håkanson R, Sundler F (1983) Endocrine cells in human intestine: An immunocytochemical study. Gastroenterology 85:1120–1130

    Google Scholar 

  • Sokolski KN, Lechago J (1984) Human colonic substance P-producing cells are a separate population from the serotonin-producing enterochromaffin cells. J Histochem Cytochem 32:1066–1074

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberger LA (1979) Immunocytochemistry. 2nd ed. PrenticeHall Inc, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey

    Google Scholar 

  • Sundler F, Alumets J, Håkanson R (1977) 5-hydroxytryptamine containing enterochromaffin cells: storage site of substance P. Acta Physiol Scand [Suppl] 452:121–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Toner PG (1964) Fine structure of argyrophil and argentaffin cells in the gastro-intestinal tract of the fowl. Z Zellforsch 63:830–839

    Google Scholar 

  • Vassallo G, Capella C, Solcia E (1971) Endocrine cells of the human gastric mucosa. Z Zellforsch 118:49–67

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Faculty of Agriculture, Nagoya University, Nagoya, Japan

    Tohru Watanabe, Hirotaka Chikazawa & Toshitake Fujioka

  2. Department of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Bangkok, Thailand

    Narong Chungsamarnyart

  3. Department of Veterinary Anatomy, School of Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Japan

    Junzo Yamada

Authors
  1. Tohru Watanabe
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Hirotaka Chikazawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Narong Chungsamarnyart
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Toshitake Fujioka
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Junzo Yamada
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Watanabe, T., Chikazawa, H., Chungsamarnyart, N. et al. Serotonin-storing cells of the chicken duodenum: light, fluorescence and electron microscopy, and immunohistochemistry. Cell Tissue Res. 247, 25–32 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00216543

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00216543

Key words

Search

Navigation