Electron microscopic localization of enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in the human adrenal medulla.
Enkephalin-like immunoreactivity in human adrenomedullary cells was studied at the light and electron microscopic levels. Enkephalin immunostaining was associated with chromaffin granules and, in a few cells, with the rough endoplasmic reticulum as well. The relative number of stained granules varied from cell to cell, and a correlation with a particular granular population was not noted. Both large and small granules were labelled. It is concluded that in the human the ability to store enkephalin immunoreactive peptides is a general property of chromaffin granules and, furthermore, is not correlated with specific granular subpopulations or the particular type of catecholamine stored within the cell.
Department of Public Health, Tampere Brain Research Center, University of Tampere, Finland.
A
A
Hervonen
I
I
Linnoila
A
A
Vaalasti
H
H
Alho
M
M
Pelto-Huikko
D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002837:Chromaffin Granules / Q000378:metabolism; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000032:analysis*; D006801:Humans; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence / Q000379:methods
D004745:Enkephalins