Quantitative ultrastructural studies on rat gastric zymogen cells under different physiological and experimental conditions

Extracellular calcium acts as a "third messenger" to regulate enzyme and alkaline secretion

It is generally assumed that the functional consequences of stimulation with Ca²⁺-mobilizing agonists are derived exclusively from the second messenger action of intracellular Ca²⁺, acting on targets inside the cells. However, during Ca²⁺ signaling events, Ca²⁺ moves in and out of the cell, causing changes not only in intracellular Ca²⁺, but also in local extracellular Ca²⁺. The fact that numerous cell types possess an extracellular Ca²⁺ “sensor” raises the question of whether these dynamic changes in external [Ca²⁺] may serve some sort of messenger function. We found that in intact gastric mucosa, the changes in extracellular [Ca²⁺] secondary to carbachol-induced increases in intracellular [Ca²⁺] were sufficient and necessary to elicit alkaline secretion and pepsinogen secretion, independent of intracellular [Ca²⁺] changes. These findings suggest that extracellular Ca²⁺ can act as a “third messenger” via Ca²⁺ sensor(s) to regulate specific subsets of tissue function previously assumed to be under the direct control of intracellular Ca²⁺.

Ultrastructure of the zymogenic-cell lineage in abomasal mucosa of adult cattle

The ultrastructural differentiation and maturation of the neck cells and the zymogenic cells during physiological cell renewal were investigated in the abomasal oxyntic-gland region of cattle. Immature neck cells of the distal isthmus and proximal neck exhibit transitional morphology to the predominantly mucous isthmus cells. Neck cells confined to the glandular neck are characterized by bipartite peptic-cored mucous secretory granules. In a proximal-distal gradient along the neck, a progressive increase in the peptic granular component and concomitant reduction in mucous components paralleled by proliferation of the rough endoplasmic reticulum creates pre-zymogenic cells in the proximal glandular base. These, in turn, give rise to mature zymogenic cells with pure peptic secretory granules and typical zymogenic cell morphology. In the depth of the gland, older degenerative zymogenic cells are found. Variations in size and number of the zymogenic granules point to different secretory activities of the mature zymogenic-cell population of the glandular base. These results favour the conception of a zymogenic-cell lineage arising within the isthmus and passing through different developmental stages, including neck cells, during their migration down the gland.

Cytoplasmic granule formation in mouse pancreatic acinar cells. Evidence for formation of immature granules (condensing vacuoles) by aggregation and fusion of progranules of unit size, and for reductions in membrane surface area and immature granule volume during granule maturation

We used a computer-assisted morphometry approach to analyze quantitatively the process of cytoplasmic granule formation in mouse pancreatic acinar cells stimulated with pilocarpine to induce secretion. Our findings suggest that each condensing vacuole/immature granule of pancreatic acinar cells is formed by the progressive aggregation of 106 to 128 "unit progranules" of narrowly fixed volume, define a range of 7.7 to 9.2 for the factor of volume condensation between the largest immature granules and the mature unit granule, and predict that the formation of a single mature unit granule by the aggregation and fusion of unit progranules involves a net reduction of at least 95% in the amount of membrane surface area associated with these structures.

Parasympathetic non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic mechanisms in reflex secretion of parotid acinar granules in conscious rats

1. Female adult rats were subjected to sympathetic denervation of the parotid glands by bilateral removal of the superior cervical ganglion 10-12 days before acute experiments. The sympathectomy was in some of the experimental groups combined with either bilateral adrenal medullectomy, treatment with the sensory neurotoxin capsaicin or parasympathetic denervation of the gland by cutting the auriculotemporal nerve. 2. Food but not water was withheld for 29-32 h before acute experiments. All animals were given an intraperitoneal injection of phentolamine (2 mg kg-1) and propranolol (1 mg kg-1) and, when appropriate, also atropine (1 mg kg-1). Then the experimental animals were fed their ordinary food of hard chow for 60-90 min. Thereafter, these animals and their non-fed controls were killed, and the parotid glands were removed and used for either morphometric assessment or measurement of amylase activity. 3. In the atropinized rats subjected to sympathectomy alone, eating reduced the numerical density of acinar secretory granules by 50% and the total activity of amylase by 55%; the corresponding figures were, when sympathectomy was combined with adrenal medullectomy, 51 and 63%. Also, in atropinized animals subjected to sympathectomy and capsaicin pretreatment, eating reduced the numerical density of acinar granules and the total amylase activity, in this case by 45 and 35%, respectively. 4. In the atropinized rats subjected to sympathectomy and parasympathectomy, eating caused no change in the numerical density of acinar granules but reduced the total amylase activity by 35%. 5. In the non-atropinized rats subjected to sympathectomy alone, eating reduced the numerical density of acinar granules by 22%, while there was no change in the total amylase activity. 6. In conclusion, eating evoked a reflex activation of the sympathectomized parotid gland that engaged non-adrenergic non-cholinergic receptors of the acinar cells. The present results give weight to a physiological role for non-adrenergic non-cholinergic parasympathetic mechanisms in salivary secretion under reflex conditions.

Morphometric and stereological analysis of the effects of 17 beta-estradiol on the glandular epithelium of the castrated guinea pig lateral prostate

Upon administration of pharmacological doses of estradiol to castrated guinea pigs, the secretory cells of the lateral prostate underwent hypertrophy which resulted from significant increases in nuclear and cytoplasmic volume. There were quantitative increases in the small highly electron-dense granules and multivesicular bodies when compared with the castrated control. The dramatic increase in the number of highly electron-dense granules probably occurred at the expense of the low electron-dense granules. The average size of the condensing granules and mitochondria decreased significantly after estradiol administration. However, significant increase in the number of mitochondria was detected when compared with the castrated control. Ultrastructural data revealed no significant changes in the absolute dimensions of granular endoplasmic reticulum or of the Golgi complex, suggesting that estradiol exerted no significant stimulatory effects on these organelles. Pharmacological doses of estrogen appear to regulate the expression of secretory granules and multivesicular bodies in the lateral prostate of castrated guinea pigs.

Morphometric and stereological study of the glandular epithelium of the lateral prostate of the intact and castrated guinea pig

The glandular epithelium of the lateral prostate of the guinea pig was described within the framework of a morphometric model in terms of relative densities and absolute dimensions. A combination of direct measurement and point and intersection counting techniques was used. The quantitative data generated in the intact animals were compared with those of castrated controls. Castration was accompanied by a significant decrease in height of the glandular epithelium and in sizes of secretory and basal cells and their corresponding nuclei. On a per cell basis, significant decreases in total volume and surface area of granular endoplasmic reticulum were detected after castration. This was accompanied by a significant reduction in the total volume of Golgi cisternae. The total volume, surface area, and number of highly electron-dense and clear granules decreased significantly compared with the intact control animals. However, no significant changes in these parameters of low electron-dense granules were found. Significant reductions in the total volume and surface area of condensing granules, lysosomes, and mitochondria, but not their number, were detected. The average sizes of condensing granules, secretory granules, lysosomes, and mitochondria were decreased significantly after castration. The present study showed that the alterations in the secretory function of the secretory cells of the lateral prostate was reflected by the quantitative changes in granular endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi complexes, and secretory granules on a per cell basis. The data generated in the present study will serve as a baseline for further studies of the lateral prostate of the guinea pig.

Stereological investigations on human gastric mucosa: I. Normal oxyntic mucosa

Quantitative morphological data on normal human oxyntic mucosa were obtained from endoscopic biopsies in ten healthy male volunteers. Corpus mucosa was biopsied in the resting state and during maximal acid secretion and then processed for light and electron microscopy. Stereological analyses were carried out on sections comprising the entire thickness of the epithelial layer. About one-third of the mucosal volume was taken up by lamina propria and 15% by parietal cells. Counts of cells that displayed their nucleus in the sections revealed that in average of 12% of the epithelial cells were parietal cells, 43% were mucous cells, 40% were zymogen cells, and 4% were endocrine cells. Parietal cells displaying two nuclei were twice as large as those with only one nucleus. Six percent of the parietal cell volume was taken up by the nucleus, and 33% of the cytoplasmic volume was occupied by mitochondria. Stimulation of acid secretion resulted in a 76% increase in the secretory surface density; simultaneously there was a slight decrease in the mean size of the parietal cells and an increase in the relative volume of the nucleus. During maximal stimulation of acid the parietal cells from the superficial mucosal layers displayed a 40% larger secretory surface than those from the deeper parts of the mucosa. The data, which will serve as a basis for studies of pathological mucosae, are compared with those obtained in other species.

Zymogen granule size in pancreas of nursing rats

Dramatic depression in granule volume density and size was measured in acinar cells of postnatal rat pancreas following the initiation of feeding. Volume density decreased about threefold from 45% at birth to 16% 2 days thereafter. Mean granule diameter decreased from 1.50 micron to 0.80 micron, an 85% decrease in corresponding granule volume. At the same time, numerical density approximately doubled. At 2 days after birth, cells with smaller granules had lower volume densities, and differences in mean granule volume between cells accounted for most of the differences in volume density. Although the distribution of granule diameter in newborns was lognormal, the distribution at 2 days was heavily skewed to larger sizes. This was the result of skewed distributions within individual cells and not an artifact of sampling. The results corroborate the central role of granule volume in determining changes in the volume density of zymogen granules in the pancreas and suggest that zymogen granules can act as capacitors that can change size as a function of the enzyme contained within.

Morphometric analysis of glomus cells within the recurrent laryngeal nerve of the rat

An endoneurial paraganglion located in the recurrent laryngeal nerve of the rat was found in 17 of 20 nerves studied. The median size of the paraganglia was estimated to be 0.8 X 10(6) micron 3. The number of type I like cells within a paraganglion ranged between 8 and 24. Altogether, 120 endoneurial dense-cored vesicle cells from 8 paraganglia were subjected to a morphometric analysis at the ultrastructure level. The mean vesicle profile diameter was estimated to be 101.3 nm and only one type of granulated cell could be distinguished. The volume density of the dense-cored vesicles was estimated to be about 6%, a value amounting to two to three times that in the carotid glomus. Moreover, the mean cell profile area of vesiculated cells of recurrent laryngeal nerve exceeds that of the cells of the carotid glomus.

Increase in zymogen granule volume accounts for increase in volume density during prenatal development of pancreas

The sudden increase in volume density of zymogen granules in acinar cells of the fetal rat pancreas was examined with particular attention to the respective roles of granule size and number in this event. Volume density increased some twelvefold, from about 3% of cytoplasmic volume at 17 days to about 45% at 20 days, following a sigmoidal pattern in which the greatest rate of increase occurred during day 18. This increase in volume density was primarily the result of an increase in granule volume. Zymogen granule diameter increased from 0.55 micron at 17 days to 1.20 micron at 20 days, an order of magnitude increase in average granule volume. The total number of granules in the tissue increased in proportion to the increase in organ weight (cell number and size), but changes in the number of granules per unit cytoplasmic volume were minor (+ 40%) in comparison to the increase in volume density. The distribution of granule diameter was roughly normal and unimodal at each time interval, and the increase in average diameter over time was marked by an increase in the upper limit of the size distribution and an increased percentage of large granules. The size of condensing vacuoles also increased during this period, and their distributions were roughly coextensive with those seen for zymogen granules at the same time. The potential origins of changes in granule size are discussed, as well as the important effect that size has on the number of granules observed in "two-dimensional" tissue sections viewed in the electron microscope. If size is not considered in our estimates, then we underestimate the numerical density in cells with small granules compared to those with large granules. The results indicate the central role of granule size, as opposed to number, in determining granule volume density in the embryonic pancreas.

Exocrine glands and protein secretion: a stereological viewpoint

The exocrine pancreas and the parotid salivary gland have been widely used as models for studying the synthesis, intracellular transport and discharge of exportable proteins. This article briefly reviews quantitative morphological (stereological) studies which have been made of these glands and assesses their contribution to our understanding of the secretory process. A general stereological profile of these glands is presented and the way in which their morphology changes during development is outlined. Detailed consideration is given to the granule population of the cells, particularly the way in which granules are formed and discharged as a result of secretory stimuli. The membrane content of secretory cells and membrane dynamics during the secretory cycle are also examined. Throughout, the emphasis is placed on the interpretation of stereological data rather than on the methods themselves.

Secretory process in Brunner's glands during recovery from stimulation with a single dose of pilocarpine

The secretory pathway and kinetics of the secretory process were studied in Brunner's glands of mice after stimulation of secretion with a parasympatho-mimetic drug. Adult male mice were injected with pilocarpine, while unstimulated controls received saline. The animals were subsequently administered an intravenous injection of 3H-threonine, and tissue was prepared for electron microscope autoradiography at intervals ranging from 5 minutes to 2 hours after injection of the radioactive precursor. Stimulation with pilocarpine resulted in discharge of secretory granules, which was reflected in a significantly lower percentage of the cell volume occupied by granules. In both control and stimulated mice, at 5 minutes after injection of 3H-threonine, the highest percentage of silver grains was found over the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The proportion of silver grains over the rough endoplasmic reticulum declined at later intervals, and a peak of labeling was observed over the Golgi apparatus at 1 hour. Labeling of the secretory granules increased in the 1- and 2-hour samples from both control and stimulated mice, although the relative concentration of radioactivity in both Golgi-associated and apical secretory granules was greater in stimulated than control glands at 1 hour. The results suggest that the secretory protein produced by Brunner's glands was synthesized by the rough endoplasmic reticulum and transported to the Golgi apparatus where secretory granules were formed in both stimulated and control glands. Depletion of secretory granules by prior stimulation resulted in no change in the kinetics of arrival of radioactivity in the cell organelles involved in the secretory process. However, the drainage of the radioactive label from the rough endoplasmic reticulum was significantly slower in the stimulated glands than in the controls. The existence of two subcompartments within the rough endoplasmic reticulum is among the possible explanations for the latter observation.

Trophic effect of the sympathetic nervous system on the early development of the rat parotid gland: a quantitative ultrastructural study

Rats were sympathetically denervated on one side by avulsion of the superior cervical ganglion either immediately after birth (within 4 hr) or when the salivary glands were fully developed. Nine weeks after ganglionectomy the parotid glands were subjects to microscopical studies. As shown by the lack of specific fluorescence, sympathetic denervation caused an almost total depletion of catecholamines in the acini. This was further substantiated at the electron microscopic level using KMnO4 as fixative. No alterations in either gland weight or in acinar cell size were noticeable after adult sympathectomy. On the other hand, neonatal denervation caused a decrease in gland weight as well as ascinar cell hypotrophy. The mean volume of individual acinar cells was reduced by roughly 25% and the granule volume density by about 50%. Also the mean volume of individual granules was decreased. These findings indicate an important role for the sympathetic nerve system in the maturation of the rat parotid gland.