ISSN:
1432-0878
Keywords:
Adrenal chromaffin cells
;
Plasticity
;
Eye chamber transplants
;
Ultrastructure
;
Catecholamine biochemistry
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Summary Autografts of adrenal chromaffin cells from adult guinea pigs to the anterior chamber of the eye were studied electron microscopically and both histo-and biochemically 4, 8 and 12 weeks after transplantation. Transplanted chromaffin cells resembled in many respects their in-situcounterparts: they stored varying amounts of granular vesicles, which were reduced in diameter, but displayed mostly cores of low or medium electron densities suggesting predominant storage of a secondary amine. Concomitant biochemical determinations of catecholamines (CA) and phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) activity revealed a distinct reduction of total CA and PNMT activity, but no change in the proportion of adrenaline (A) to noradrenaline (NA) after 4 weeks. However, an increase of NA and almost equal amounts of A and NA were found after 8 weeks. CA-histofluorescence and electron microscopy revealed that axon-like processes with varicosities extend from chromaffin cells and contain the large “chromaffin” vesicles (100–200 nm in diameter) in addition to small clear and dense-cored vesicles (40–80 nm in diameter). Processes of chromaffin cells grew in all directions over the host iris and were also found in close proximity to smooth muscle cells the sympathetic nerve supply of which had been cut by removing the superior cervical ganglion. Administration of 5-and 6-hydroxydopamine (OHDA) resulted in characteristic labeling and ultramorphological changes in axons, but caused alterations in chromaffin cell bodies only 8 weeks after transplantation. Transplanted chromaffin cells became reinnervated by nerve fibres that are considered to be cholinergic fibres derived from the ciliary ganglion. Transplanted chromaffin cells also exhibited synapse-like contacts with each other. The present study shows that chromaffin cells from adult guinea pigs transplanted to the anterior chamber of the eye retain a large number of differentiated properties. Formation of axon-like processes by these cells indicates that the anterior chamber of the eye favours transdifferentiation, as does tissue culture (Unsicker et al. 1978a), eliciting a cell type that displays features of both a sympathetic neurone and a SIF-cell.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00239120
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