title: Distribution and evaluation of complex carbohydrates in the quail collecting ducts.
abstract: The cell heterogeneity within the collecting duct epithelium of quail kidney was investigated using histochemical methods for complex carbohydrates. The selective distribution of acidic glycoconjugates allowed further discrimination between metachromatic, mucin-secreting cells and dark, proton-transporting cells. Enzymatic digestion by glycosidases was performed to characterize the carboxylated and sulphated glycoconjugates of mucin-secreting cells. The staining intensity of all histochemical reactions with and without prior treatment, was quantitated by means of scanning histophotometry and differences in absorbance values were evaluated by statistical analysis. A different distribution of sulphated components was found for the mucin-secreting cells of renal cortex and medulla, suggesting a morphofunctional heterogeneity within mucin-secreting cell population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular, Cellular and Animal Biology, University of Camerino, Italy.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Gabrielli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Menghi
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Accili
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050260:Carbohydrate Metabolism; D003370:Coturnix / Q000378:metabolism*; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007672:Kidney Cortex / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D007685:Kidney Tubules, Collecting / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009077:Mucins / Q000378:metabolism; D013194:Staining and Labeling; D016707:Tissue Fixation
chemical_list: D009077:Mucins; D006026:Glycoside Hydrolases