Immunohistochemical Identification of Pancreatic Stellate Cells in Developing Pancreas of Guinea Pig (Cavia porcellus)

Abstract

Background: Pancreatic stellate cell (PSC) is now known to play a critical role in pancreatic fibrosis in chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer. In health, quiescent PSCs maintain normal tissue architecture. Methods: The immunohistochemistry of the pancreas of guinea pig six animals each from 0-2 weeks, 2-8 weeks, 8-16 weeks and 16-32 weeks age groups irrespective of sex were conducted by procuring the animals from the Department of Laboratory Animal Medicine. Tissues were normally processed and embedded in paraffin and paraffin sections of three micron thickness were cut and immunohistochemistry staining protocol was followed with using primary antibody markers namely GFAP, alpha SMA and vimentin. Result: In guinea pigs of 0-2 weeks of age, quiescent pancreatic stellate cells surrounding the acini showed mild positive vimentin immunoreaction. Mild alpha SMA immunopositive reaction was noticed in the quiescent pancreatic stellate cells of 2-8 weeks, 8-16 weeks and 16-32 weeks of age groups within the pancreatic acini. The star shaped quiescent pancreatic stellate cells in the pancreas were located in the interacinar spaces or periacinar spaces, with elongated cytoplasmic processes. Strong vimentin positive quiescent pancreatic stellate cells were found in the pancreatic acini of 2-8 weeks, 8-16 weeks and 16-32 weeks of age groups.