title: Hamster pulmonary endocrine cells with neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) immunostaining.
abstract: Pulmonary endocrine cells of Syrian golden hamster were stained for neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) with indirect fluorescent immunostaining and observed with a confocal laser scanning microscope equipped with an argon laser. Sections 100 microns thick of hamster lung fixed with phosphate-buffered 4% paraformaldehyde were prepared. The sections were incubated with rat monoclonal antibody against NCAM, followed by fluorescence-labeled antibody against rat immunoglobulin. Some were doubly immunostained for NCAM and one of the following endocrine markers: neuron-specific enolase, calcitonin gene-related peptide and serotonin. Expression of NCAM in the hamster airway epithelium was seen in cell nests resembling neuroepithelial bodies (NEBs). NCAM immunostaining was positive at the lateral cell borders between the cells composing the nest, but negative at the border with the adjacent, presumably non-endocrine cells. Double immunostaining confirmed that the grouped cells with NCAM immunoreactivity were of an endocrine nature, but that single endocrine cells did not show NCAM immunoreactivity. An electron microscopic study with NCAM immunostaining confirmed the light microscopic study. These suggest that NCAM expression could be important for the morphogenesis of NEBs. A confocal laser microscope was used to make three-dimensional images of NEBs after NCAM immunostaining and the spatial interaction between NEBs and the surrounding microenvironment was studied.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Yokohama City University School Medicine, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nozawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Usuda
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kitamura
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kanisawa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000032:analysis; D006224:Cricetinae; D004702:Endocrine Glands / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D004847:Epithelial Cells; D004848:Epithelium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D008168:Lung / Q000737:chemistry / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D012701:Serotonin / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019006:Neural Cell Adhesion Molecules; D012701:Serotonin; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide