title: Atrial natriuretic factor (ANF)-like immunoreactivity and secretory granules in internal gills tadpoles of South American toad Bufo arenarum (Hensel).
abstract: In this study, an ultrastructural and immunohistochemical analysis was carried out on the presence of Atrial Natriuretic Factor-like substance in the internal gills of premetamorphic larval stages of the South American toad. The results of immunohistochemical study indicate that, at larval 27 and following stages, ANF-like immunoreactive cells are seen in internal gills. At electron-microscopy level "secretory granules" similar to those ANF-immunoreactives granules of myoendocrine cells of the same species are seen only in clear cells of gill rakers. Our results reveal the occurrence of ANF-like substance in Bufo arenarum gills and may suggest that "cardiac hormones" might play a paracrine and/or autocrine role in the water and electrolyte balance at internal gills level.
authors.affiliation: Laboratorio de Investigaciones Embriologicas (LABINE-CONICET), Buenos Aires, Argentina.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Riobo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Paz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pisano
authors.forename: V H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Casco
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000032:analysis / Q000276:immunology*; D002022:Bufo arenarum / Q000502:physiology*; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005880:Gills / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron
chemical_list: D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor