Abstract
Adrenomedullin is an α-amidated 52-amino acid peptide involved in many physiological actions, among others the regulation of insulin secretion. Using immunohistochemical methods, we found that adrenomedullin immunoreactivity first appears at day 11.5 of embryonic development in the rat, coinciding with the appearance of pancreatic glucagon. The early appearance of adrenomedullin in the developing pancreas may indicate an active involvement in either the morphogenesis of the organ or its endocrine/paracrine/autocrine hormone regulation during intrauterine life. We also investigated the pattern of colocalizations of adrenomedullin with the other pancreatic hormones. At some point during development all the cell types express adrenomedullin, progressively evolving towards the adult pattern where only the pancreatic polypeptide cells contain a strong immunoreactivity for adrenomedullin. At this point the remaining cells of the islet are, in general, weakly stained. This sequential and time-dependent expression of adrenomedullin suggests a tight regulation similar to that observed for other modulatory substances responsible for embryonic morphogenesis.
Similar content being viewed by others
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Received: 11 June 1997 / Accepted: 19 October 1997
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Martínez, A., Cuttitta, F. & Teitelman, G. Expression pattern for adrenomedullin during pancreatic development in the rat reveals a common precursor with other endocrine cell types. Cell Tissue Res 293, 95–100 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/s004410051101
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s004410051101