Immunocytochemical localization of histamine in enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells in rat oxyntic mucosa: a transmission electron microscopy study using monoclonal antibodies and conventional glutaraldehyde-based fixation.
Histamine (HA), contained in the enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells of the gastric mucosa in animals, plays an important role in gastric acid secretion, although methods for its exact morphological localization are still lacking. We used a pre-embedding indirect immunoperoxidase approach to define the fine structural localization of HA in rat oxyntic mucosa that was fixed with a glutaraldehyde-based fixative and HA monoclonal antibodies (MAbs AHA-1 and 2). Transmission electron microscopy showed that the peroxidase endproduct not only was concentrated in the cores of cytoplasmic granules but also was distributed to a high degree in the cytoplasm peripheral to the granules of the ECL cells. These results suggest that in ECL cells HA is enzymatically synthesized in the cytoplasm, then is transported and stored in the cores of the granules before its release from the basal lamina. The present HA immunoelectron microscopic method with MAbs would be applicable more generally to the ultrastructural identification of HA-containing cells.
Fujiwara
K
K
Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Nagasaki University, Nagasaki, Japan.
Bai
G
G
Tamura
C
C
Tsuru
D
D
D000818:Animals; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D004759:Enterochromaffin Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005404:Fixatives / Q000494:pharmacology; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005976:Glutaral / Q000494:pharmacology; D006632:Histamine / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal; D005404:Fixatives; D006632:Histamine; D005976:Glutaral