Correlative Immunochemical and Light Microscopic Studies of the Gastrin Cell of the Antral Mucosa

Abstract

The specific gastrin-containing epithelial cell of the hog pyloric antral mucosa was studied and identified by immunochemical techniques using γG-immunoglobulin-containing antibodies to human gastrin I labeled with fluorescein and horseradish peroxidase. Cells demonstrated to contain gastrin in this study did not stain by the alkaline diazonium procedure or by the argyrophilic procedures of Grimelius, Bodian, Sevier-Munger, Hellerstron-Hellman, and Goldner-Volk. These results do not agree with conclusions and suggestions of other investigators who have attempted to identify and segregate cells which might contain gastrin on the basis of positive staining with these procedures. Autofluorescent cells of the antral mucosa were stained by the argyrophilic and diazonium procedures. This study reaffirms the previous evidence from this laboratory which did not permit, on the basis of staining techniques utilized, the classification of gastrin-containing cells as argyrophilic or argentaffinic. This study serves to emphasize the caution which must be urged in the interpretation of the specificity of the hormonal content of a population of cells on the basis of its general morphological characteristics, distribution, or nonspecific tinctorial reactions.