Simultaneous localization of histamine and factor VIII‐related antigen in the endothelium of the human umbilical vein

Abstract

Simultaneous immunoelectron microscopic localization of histamine and factor VIII-related antigen was examined on the same ultrathin section of the endothelium of the human umbilical vein from full-term deliveries by means of the double-immunolabeling technique. Small gold particles demonstrating antibody reaction with histamine are preferentially located in the cytoplasmic matrix and organelles, especially in mitochondria and on the luminal membrane surface of the endothelial cells. The gold particles representing histamine immunoreactivity also located on some of Weibel-Palade (WP) bodies. In contrast, large gold particles demonstrating factor VIII-related antigen are concentrated preferentially on most WP bodies. Single labeling of either histamine or factor VIII-related antigen shows similar results to those of the double labeling. The present study indicates that some WP bodies are involved in storage of both factor VIII-related antigen and histamine, but others store factor VIII-related antigen only. This difference in contents of WP bodies may be induced during the development and maturation process of this inclusion. At any rate, it is reasonable to consider that WP bodies have important roles in both vascular tonus and hemostasis during the vascular obliteration.

Enhancement of immunoreactivity for endothelin-1 and endothelin-converting enzyme-1 in the cadmium-treated rat thoracic aorta

“…The increase of WP bodies in the aortae after treatment with cadmium has already been reported by Yoshizuka et al [36] and Doi et al [4], and we consider that this increase is mainly due to the enhanced segregation of WP bodies from trans-Golgi networks as indicated by Fujimoto et al [7]. WP bodies are known to be storage sites of certain vasoactive substances such as histamine [3,9,32], ET-1 [4,10,12,22,27], and calcitonin gene-related peptide [5,24]. The involvement of WP bodies in the extracellular release of these substances into both vascular lumen and subendothelial layer by degranulation and/or exocytosis in a manner of regulated release has already been reported in the toad aorta [3,6] and in the rabbit umbilical vein [7,27].…”

Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is localized to the Weibel‐Palade bodies of human vascular endothelial cells and is physically associated with von Willebrand factor

“…WPB are endothelial cell-specific organelles, which contain a restricted number of proteins including vWF, P-selectin, and the lysosomal membrane protein CD63 (Wagner et al, 1982;Bonfanti et al, 1989;Hattori et al, 1989;Ueda et al, 1992;Wagner, 1993;Vischer and Wagner, 1994). Upon thrombogenic and inflammatory challenge with secretagogues, such as histamine, TNF-a, and IL-1b, the contents of WPB are rapidly translocated to the plasma membrane or extracellular space, where they serve to facilitate the emigration of leukocytes and platelets into sites of inflammation and thrombus formation (Arnaout, 1993;Wagner, 1993).…”

Weibel-Palade bodies as a storage site of calcitonin gene-related peptide and endothelin-1 in blood vessels of the rat carotid body

“…The specificity of the above immunostainings was confirmed by substituting the primary antibodies for the normal rabbit (for CGRP) and mouse (for ET-1) sera or PBS. Double immunolabelings of CGRP and ET-1 in the same ultrathin section were carried out according to the method of Ueda et al (1992). The first face (face A) of the grids down was stained by the same procedure for the single labeling of CGRP with the use of goat anti-rabbit 5 nm colloidal gold (Ultra Biosols, Liverpool, UK) in place of goat anti-rabbit 15 nm colloidal gold.…”