ISSN:
1432-119X
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Biology
,
Medicine
Notes:
Summary We used the protein-A gold technique to demonstrate the presence of apolipoprotein-B in ultrathin sections of fetal rat liver tissue. It was possible to show for the first time that the electron-dense, osmiophilic particles with diameters of 20–20 nm located within the RER cisternae and Golgi complexes of fetal rat hepatocytes contain apolipoprotein-B components and therefore are lipoproteins. After specific labelling an accumulation of gold label was observed on the RER cisternae, Golgi cisternae and the Golgi-associated secretory vesicles of hepatocytes. The specifity of this labelling pattern was assessed by comparison with cytochemical controls. Our qualitative findings were confirmed by a quantitative analysis of the mean labelling intensity (mean number of gold particles per square micron of the surface area of a particular cellular compartment) on the RER, Golgi complexes, mitochondria, nuclei and the remaining cytoplasm of hepatocytes. It is concluded that the hepatocytes of fetal rats are capable of forming apolipoprotein-B-containing lipoprotein particles. With respect to the size-distribution pattern of the observed intrahepatic lipoprotein particles, we suggest that the hepatocytes of fetal rats produce lipoproteins of the low- and very low-density-lipoprotein type.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF00495793
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