An immunocytochemical survey of endocrine cells in the gastrointestinal tract of chicks at hatching

Abstract

The distribution of gastrin-, cholecystokinin-, glucagon-, secretin-, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-, substance P-, bombesin-, neurotensin-, motilin-, somatostatin- and avian pancreatic polypeptide-like cells, demonstrated by indirect immunocytochemistry, was studied in samples from the following regions: proventriculus, gizzard, pylorus, duodenum, upper and lower ileum, caeca and rectum. The pylorus is particularly rich in gastrin-, neurotensin- and somatostatin-like cells. No cells immunoreactive for gastric inhibitory polypeptide or insulin were detected. In a number of instances the same cells were found to stain with antisera raised to different gut peptides. This happened with antisera detecting gastrin- and neurotensin-like cells, with secretin, vasoactive intestinal polypeptide, glucagon and substance P. The possibility that antigenic determinants to more than one peptide are contained in certain endocrine-like cells is considered.

Phylogenetic Aspects of the Occurrence and Distribution of Secretogranin II Immunoreactivity in Lower Vertebrate Gut.

“…The coexis-250 L. D'ESTE, R. BUFFA and T. RENDA: tence of gastrin/CCK with PYY has already been shown in mammals (for references, see SUNDLER et aL, 1993) and in the lizard stomach (DIAz DE RADA et al, 1992) and intestine . The coexistence of gastrin/CCK with NT agrees with previous data reported in the chicken (RAWDON and ANDREW, 1981), mammals (Rix et al, 1986) and frogs (FLUCHER et al, 1988). Furthermore, the number of the gastrin/CCK-immunoreactive cells that also contained Sg II-immunoreactive granules was notably higher in the gastric regions than in the small intestine.…”

Immunohistochemical study of the digestive tract ofOligosarcus hepsetus

“…This hormone controls intestinal motility, by stimulating the release of pancreatic juice and inhibiting gastric emptying [58,59] . The existence of these cells has been verified in fish [35,42] , reptiles [39] , birds [60] and mammals [61] . In conclusion, our histological and histochemical study of the DT of O. hepsetus revealed adaptation for the species' feeding habits, to protect the tract and increase the absorptive processes.…”

The relative frequency and topographical distribution of somatostatin-, GRP-,APP-, glucagon-,5-HT-, and neurotensin-immunoreactive cells in the proventriculus of seven species of birds.

“…Although neurotensin-immunoreactive cells were not observed in the proventriculus of the quail (REINECKE et al, 1980) and chicken (ALUMETS et al, 1977), they were found in the proventriculus of the newly hatched chick (RAWDON and ANDREW, 1981). Bombesin-and GRP-immunoreactives have been known to occur in the same endocrine cell (BUFFA et al, 1982), and therefore five different endocrine cells have been identified in the avian proventriculus.…”