title: Ultrastructural pattern of glucagon producing-cells in the gastric mucosa of the developing opossum Didelphis albiventris (Marsupialia).
abstract: Gastric glucagon-producing cells of the pouch young, weaned and adult opossum Didelphis albiventris were investigated by immunocytochemical and ultrastructural methods. In sections of the oxyntic mucosa stained by immunoperoxidase it was observed that glucagon-immunoreactive cells increased in number during pouch development (from 7.9 +/- 4.7 to 35.4 +/- 5.9 cells/mm2), decreasing progressively to weaned (14.2 +/- 4.8 cells/mm2) and adult animals (10.4 +/- 3.0 cells/mm2). The glucagon-immunoreactive cells presented numerous electrondense, round cytoplasmic granules surrounded by a membrane. Frequently, the dense core of the granules was separated from the enveloping membrane by a delicate electronlucent halo or by a less electrondense peripheral halo. This pattern of the granular component was similar to the ultrastructural morphology observed in pancreatic islet glucagon-producing cells and A-like cells of the gastric mucosa of those eutherian mammals studied so far.
authors.affiliation: Department of Morphology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, Brazil.
authors.forename: C C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Fonseca
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Barbosa
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003594:Cytoplasmic Granules / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000166:cytology / Q000254:growth & development*; D005934:Glucagon / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009893:Opossums / Q000254:growth & development*; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D005934:Glucagon