Summary
An argentaffin carcinoid tumour of the caecum which contained serotonin (167 μg/g) and consisted predominantly of EC1-cells, was analysed for the presence of peptides using immunohistochemical, biochemical and pharmacological methods.
A very high content of 3.9 μg/g of immunoreactive substance P was found. The distribution of cells staining positively for substance P matched that of cells containing serotonin. While some immunoreactive somatostatin (3.2 ng/g) was present in the tumour, neurotensin, glucagon, gastrin, and motilin were not found.
Part of the substance P immunoreactivity measured most likely represents authentic substance P: it behaved like substance P in two Chromatographic systems and in two bioassays, and its activity on the guinea pig ileum was abolished by specific tachyphylaxis towards substance P.
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Ratzenhofer, M., Gamse, R., Höfler, H. et al. Substance P in an argentaffin carcinoid of the caecum: Biochemical and biological characterization. Virchows Arch. A Path. Anat. and Histol. 392, 21–31 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00430545
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00430545