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Chromaffin cell heterogeneity of process formation and neuropeptide content under control and nerve growth factor‐altered conditions in cultures of chick embryonic adrenal gland
Author(s) -
Shaw T.J.,
Letourneau P.C.
Publication year - 1986
Publication title -
journal of neuroscience research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.72
H-Index - 160
eISSN - 1097-4547
pISSN - 0360-4012
DOI - 10.1002/jnr.490160202
Subject(s) - nerve growth factor , neurite , biology , medicine , endocrinology , adrenal medulla , embryonic stem cell , population , tyrosine hydroxylase , neurofilament , microbiology and biotechnology , neuropeptide y receptor , neuropeptide , cell culture , cell type , cell , immunology , catecholamine , immunohistochemistry , in vitro , dopamine , biochemistry , receptor , genetics , gene , demography , sociology
Adrenal glands from embryonic day 11 (E‐11) chicks were cryostat‐sectiond, and it was determined that tyrosine hydroxylase‐like immunoreactive (TLI) cells, somatostain‐like immunoreactive (SLI) cells, and methionnie‐enkephalin‐like immunoreactive (ELI) cells occupied chromaffin regions of the gland. Similar age adrenals were dissociated, and the cells were cultured under serum‐free conditons. Cultured TLI cells, ELI cells, and SLI cells were characterized according to cell size, cell number, and neurite formation. ELI and SLI cells composed two largely separate populations, with SLI cells tending to have larger cell areas, to be more numerous, and to be less likely to from neurits than ELI cells. The population of TLI cells, although unique in itself, was diverse and numerous enough to include all or portions of the neuropeptide‐immunoreactive populations. Neurites of some cells from each of the above populations were strongly immunoreactive for alpha neurofilament protein, and for NAPA73 neurofilament‐associated protein. However, neurities could also be observed in all populations that showed poor immunoreactivity for these cytoskeletal proteins. Exogenously added NGF significantly increased nurite‐like process formation among TLI and ELI cells, but not among SLI cells. Reductions in the number of neurite‐like processes following treatment with anti‐nerve growth factor (NGF) were not singnificant for any of the populations. However, if shorter and broader process were included, ELI cells. Anti‐NGF inhibition of process formation among ELI cells could be reversed with exogenous NGF. Neither NGF or anti‐NGF treatments showed a significant effect on cell numbers among TLI and ELI populations. The implications are that a compound of antigenic and physiologic similarity to mouse salivary NGF is made by embryonic chick adrenal cells in culture, but the effects of NGF do not appear to be the same for all neural‐crest‐derived cells from the adrenal, and greater heterogeneity of phenotypes may exist among chromaffin cells than has previously been accepted. Some quesitons are also raised concerning the neurite‐like nature of processes formed by some chromaffin cells in vitro.