Immunohistochemical study of sustentacular cells in adrenal medulla of neonatal and adult rats using an antibody against S-100 protein
Abstract
Background: This study was performed to investigate the light microscopic features of sustentacular cells in adrenal medulla in neonatal and adult male albino rats using an antibody against S-100 protein. S-100 expression in sustentacular cells is considered a reliable cell marker for this type of cells.
Materials and methods: Twenty-four male albino rats were allocated into two groups, neonatal group (1 week old, 12 rats) and adult group (3 months old, 12 rats). Paraffin sections of the adrenal glands were immunostained for the expression of S-100 protein.
Results: The results demonstrated differences in distribution, arrangement and structure of sustentacular cells in adrenal medulla in neonatal and adult rats. All sustentacular cells of adrenal medulla in all animals showed intense immunoreactivity for S-100 protein in their nuclei, perikarya, and cytoplasmic processes. Most of S-100 immunopositive sustentacular cells in adrenal medulla of neonatal rats are few, dispersed, small in size, and oval in shape with thin short bipolar cytoplasmic processes. These cells in adult rats are more numerous, larger in size, and stellate in shape with numerous slender, longer branched cytoplasmic processes.
Conclusions: This study indicated that adrenal medullary sustentacular cells showed obvious morphological postnatal changes with aging suggesting structural and functional maturation.
Keywords: adrenal medullasustentacular cellsS-100 proteinimmunohistochemistryrat
References
- Anderson DJ, Axel R. Molecular probes for the development and plasticity of neural crest derivatives. Cell. 1985; 42(2): 649–662.
- Cocchia D. Immunocytochemical localization of S-100 protein in the brain of adult rat. An ultrastructural study. Cell Tissue Res. 1981; 214(3): 529–540.
- Cocchia D, Michetti F. S-100 antigen in satellite cells of the adrenal medulla and the superior cervical ganglion of the rat. An immunochemical and immunocytochemical study. Cell Tissue Res. 1981; 215(1): 103–112.
- Crivellato E, Belloni A, Nico B, et al. Chromaffin granules in the rat adrenal medulla release their secretory content in a particulate fashion. Anat Rec A Discov Mol Cell Evol Biol. 2004; 277(1): 204–208.
- Dagerlind A, Pelto-Huikko M, Diez M, et al. Adrenal medullary ganglion neurons project into the splanchnic nerve. Neuroscience. 1995; 69(4): 1019–1023.
- Gonzalez-Martinez T, Perez-Piñera P, Díaz-Esnal B, et al. S-100 proteins in the human peripheral nervous system. Microsc Res Tech. 2003; 60(6): 633–638.
- Heizmann CW, Fritz G, Schäfer BW. S100 proteins: structure, functions and pathology. Front Biosci. 2002; 7(1): 1356–d1368.
- Iwanaga T, Fujita T. Sustentacular cells in the fetal human adrenal medulla are immunoreactive with antibodies to brain S-100 protein. Cell Tissue Res. 1984; 236(3): 733–735.
- Kameda Y. Immunoelectron microscopic localization of vimentin in sustentacular cells of the carotid body and the adrenal medulla of guinea pigs. J Histochem Cytochem. 1996; 44(12): 1439–1449.
- Laming PR, Kimelberg H, Robinson S, et al. Neuronal-glial interactions and behaviour. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2000; 24(3): 295–340.
- Lloyd RV, Wilson BS. Specific endocrine tissue marker defined by a monoclonal antibody. Science. 1983; 222(4624): 628–630.
- Lloyd RV, Blaivas M, Wilson BS. Distribution of chromogranin and S100 protein in normal and abnormal adrenal medullary tissues. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1985; 109(7): 633–635.
- Mäler L, Sastry M, Chazin WJ. A structural basis for S100 protein specificity derived from comparative analysis of apo and Ca(2+)-calcyclin. J Mol Biol. 2002; 317(2): 279–290.
- Mascorro JA, Yates RD. Mitotic cell division in the extraadrenal chromaffin system of various species. J Electron Microsc Tech. 1989; 12(4): 323–330.
- Owada Y, Abdelwahab SA, Kitanaka N, et al. Altered emotional behavioral responses in mice lacking brain-type fatty acid-binding protein gene. Eur J Neurosci. 2006; 24(1): 175–187.
- Parker TL, Mohamed AA, Coupland RE. The innervation of the adrenal gland. IV. The source of pre- and postganglionic nerve fibres to the guinea-pig adrenal gland. J Anat. 1990; 172: 17–24.
- Parker TL, Kesse WK, Mohamed AA, et al. The innervation of the mammalian adrenal gland. J Anat. 1993; 183 ( Pt 2): 265–276.
- Powers JF, Brachold JM, Schelling K, et al. Potentiation of mitogenesis in adult rat chromaffin cell cultures by immunosuppressive agent FK506. Neurosci Lett. 2004; 356(1): 5–8.
- Rodriguez H, Filippa V, Mohamed F, et al. Interaction between chromaffin and sustentacular cells in adrenal medulla of viscacha (Lagostomus maximus maximus). Anat Histol Embryol. 2007; 36(3): 182–185.
- Stefansson K, Wollmann RL, Moore BW. Distribution of S-100 protein outside the central nervous system. Brain Res. 1982; 234(2): 309–317.
- Suzuki T, Kachi T. Differences between adrenaline and noradrenaline cells in cellular association with supporting cells in the adrenal medulla of the pig: An immunohistochemical study. Neurosci Lett. 1994; 176(2): 217–220.
- Suzuki T, Kachi T. Immunohistochemical studies on supporting cells in the adrenal medulla and pineal gland of adult rat, especially on S-100 protein, glial fibrillary acidic protein and vimentin. Kaibogaku Zasshi. 1995; 70(2): 130–139.
- Suzuki T, Kachi T. Similarities and differences in supporting and chromaffin cells in the mammalian adrenal medullae: An immunohistochemical study. Anat Rec. 1996; 244(3): 358–365, doi: 10.1002/(sici)1097-0185(199603)244:3<358::aid-ar7>3.0.co;2-u.
- Yun X, Nourani MR, Abdelwahab SA, et al. Differential localization of brain-type and epidermal-type fatty acid binding proteins in the adrenal gland of mice. Tohoku J Exp Med. 2004; 203(2): 77–86.
