Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of hypercalcemia on parafollicular cells in the rat thyroid gland

  • Published:
Histochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Hypercalcemia was induced in rats by the administration of A.T.10. We then determined the levels of total and ionized calcium and calcitonin in the serum, as well as performed ultrastructural observations and histochemical investigations of the calcitonin and neuron-specific enolase immunoreactivities in the stimulated parafollicular cells. The main aim of the study was to apply histochemical procedures to determine the immunoreactions of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), somatostatin and secretory protein-I in stimulated parafollicular cells. Immunoreactions of CGRP and calcitonin decreased strikingly in A.T.10-treated animals, whereas no visible changes were noted in somatostatin immunoreactivity. In the case of secretory protein-I, an insignificant increase of its immunoreactivity was observed in the treated animals. The cytophysiological significance of these results is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Amara SG, Jonas V, Rosenfeld MG, Ong ES, Evans RM (1982) Alternative RNA processing in calcitonin gene expression generates mRNAs encoding different polypeptide products. Nature 298:240–244

    Google Scholar 

  • Ali-Rachedi A, Varndell IM, Facer P, Hillyard CJ, Craig RK, MacIntyre I, Polak J (1983) Immunocytochemical localisation of katacalcin, a calcium-lovering cleaved from the human calcitonin precursor. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 57:680–682

    Google Scholar 

  • Bell NH, Queener S (1974) Stimulation of calcitonin synthesis and release in vitro by calcium and dibuthyryl cyclic AMP. Nature 248:343–344

    Google Scholar 

  • Burford HJ, Ontjes DA, Cooper CW, Parlow AF, Hirsch PF (1975) Purification, characterisation and radioimmunoassay of thyrocalcitonin from rat thyroid gland. Endocrinology 96:340–348

    Google Scholar 

  • Cohn DV, Zangerle R, Fischer-Colbrie R, Chu LLH, Elting JJ, Hamilton JW, Winkler H (1982) Similarity of secretory protein-I from parathyroid gland to chromogranin A from adrenal medulla. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 79:6056–6059

    Google Scholar 

  • Cooper CW, Deftos LJ, Potts JT (1971) Direct measurement of in vivo secretion of pig thyreocalcitonin by radioimmunoassay. Endocrinology 88:747–754

    Google Scholar 

  • Elting JJ, Elde R, Frick M, Cohn DV (1984) Localization of secretory protein-I chromogranin A (SP-I CGA) to specific peptide-secreting cell types in rat tissues. In: Cohn DV, Fujita T, Potts JT, Talmage RV (eds) Endocrine control of bone and calcium methabolism. Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam New York Oxford, pp 184–186

    Google Scholar 

  • Ericson LE (1968) Degranulation of parafollicular cells of the rat thyroid by vitamin D2-induced hypercalcemia. J Ultrastruct Res 24:145–149

    Google Scholar 

  • Ericson LE, Sundler F (1984) Thyroid parafollicular cells. In: Motta PM (ed) Ultrastructure of endocrine cells and tissues. Martinus Nijhoff, Boston, pp 276–285

    Google Scholar 

  • Garel JM, Besnart P (1980) Biphasic calcitonin release in the newborn rat. Biomedicine 33:124–126

    Google Scholar 

  • Herzog V (1981) Pathways of endocytosis in secretory cells. TIBS 6:319–322

    Google Scholar 

  • Hsu SM, Raine L, Fanger H (1981) Use of avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex (ABC) in immunoperoxidase techniques: a comparison between ABC and unlabeled antibody (PAP) procedures. J Histochem Cytochem 29:577–580

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacobs JW, Goodman RH, Chin WW, Dee PC, Habener JF (1981) Calcitonin messenger RNA encodes multiple polypeptides in a single precursor. Science 213:457–459

    Google Scholar 

  • Kameda Y (1985) Increased level of immunoreactive neuron-specific enolase in thyroid C cells from dogs and guinea pigs after hypercalcemia. Endocrinology 117:1239–1245

    Google Scholar 

  • Laurberg P (1984) Somatostatin and calcitonin release from perfused dog thyroid lobes. Studies with calcium and pentagastrin. Endocrinology 114:2234–2241

    Google Scholar 

  • Nunez EA, Gershon MD (1978) Cytophysiology of thyroid parafollicular cells. Int Rev Cytol 52:1–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Nunez EA, Hedhammer A, Wu FM, Whalen JP, Krook L (1974) Ultrastructure of the parafollicular (C) cells and parathyroid cell in growing dogs on a high calcium diet. Lab Invest 31:96–108

    Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds ES (1963) The use of lead citrate at high pH as an electron opaque stain in electron microscopy. J Cell Biol 35:208–212

    Google Scholar 

  • Rix E, Raue F, Deutschle I, Ziegler R (1984) Different effects of hypercalcemic state induced by Walker tumor (HWCS 256) and 1,25(OH)D3 intoxication on rat thyroid C cells. Histochemistry 80:503–508

    Google Scholar 

  • Rothman JE (1981) The Golgi apparatus: two organelles in tandem. Science 213:1212–1219

    Google Scholar 

  • Schäfer H, Zabel M (1983) Cytochemical demonstration of cellular calcium depots, calcitonin, somatostatin and neuron-specific enolase in normal and stimulated C cells. Calcif Tissue Int (Suppl) 35:A9

    Google Scholar 

  • Schäfer H, Zabel M (1984) Spezies-Unterschiede von Hormongehalt, Stimulierbarkeit und zellularer Calciumverteilung in C-Zellen der Schilddrüse. Hinweis auf eine parakrine Funktion von Somatostatin? Verh Dtsch Ges Pathol 68:360

    Google Scholar 

  • Schmechel D, Marangos PJ, Brightman MW (1978) Neuron-specific enolase is a molecular marker for periferial and central neuroendocrine cells. Nature 276:313–315

    Google Scholar 

  • Settelman J, Nolan J, Angeletti RH (1985) Chromogranin, an integral membrane protein. J Biol Chem 260:1641–1644

    Google Scholar 

  • Tharaud D, Rouais F, Cressent M, Mouktar MS, Milhoud G, Blanquet P (1977) Intracellular localization of calcitonin in the C cells of the rat. Experientia 33:1085–1087

    Google Scholar 

  • Tschopp FA, Tobler PH, Fischer JA (1984) Calcitonin gene-related peptide in human thyroid, pituitary and brain. Mol Cell Endocrinol 36:53–57

    Google Scholar 

  • Van Noorden S, Polak JM, Pearse AGE (1977) Single cellular origin of somatostatin and calcitonin in the rat thyroid gland. Histochemistry 53:243–247

    Google Scholar 

  • Venable JH, Coggeshall R (1965) A simplified lead citrate stain for use in electron microscopy. J Cell Biol 25:407–408

    Google Scholar 

  • Wilson BS, Lloyd RV (1984) Detection of chromogranin in neuroendocrine cells with a monoclonal antibody. Am J Pathol 115:458–468

    Google Scholar 

  • Zabel M (1984a) Parafollicular cells of the rat thyroid gland after treatment with vitamin D. Acta Anat 118:18–22

    Google Scholar 

  • Zabel M (1984b) Ultrastructural localization of calcitonin somatostatin and serotonin in parafollicular cells of the rat. Histochem J 16:1265–1272

    Google Scholar 

  • Zabel M, Schäfer H (1985) Ultrastructural immunocytochemical localization of neuron-specific enolase in parafollicular cells of the rat thyroid. Histochemistry 83:77–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Zabel M, Schäfer H (1987) Localization of calcitonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide mRNAs in rat parafollicular cells by hybridization histochemistry. J Histochem Cytochem (in press)

  • Zabel M, Dietel M, Schäfer H (1987) Immunocytochemical localization of vitamin D-dependent calcium-binding protein (calbindin) in thyroid parafollicular cells of guinea pig (in preparation)

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Histology and Embryology, Academy of Medicine, ul. Swięcickiego 6, PL-60-781, Poznań, Poland

    M. Zabel

  2. Institute of Pathology, University of Hamburg, D-2000, Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany

    H. Schäfer

Authors
  1. M. Zabel
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. H. Schäfer
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Additional information

Dedicated to Professor Dr. T.H. Schiebler on the occasion of his 65th birthday

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Zabel, M., Schäfer, H. Effect of hypercalcemia on parafollicular cells in the rat thyroid gland. Histochemistry 88, 623–628 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00570333

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00570333

Keywords

Search

Navigation