Autoradiographic detection of sulphur-35 synthesis by the mucous neck cells of the rat's stomach

Differentiation of antigenic gastric cancer sulphopolysaccharides from metaplastic 'intestinal' type sulphopolysaccharides

Sulphopolysaccharides, isolated from gastric juice of patients with pernicious anemia or gastric cancer, have been characterized immunologically using corresponding rabbit immunosera. Gastric juice sulphopolysaccharides differ from their normal form in the following conditions: a) when there is intestinal type metaplastic tissue in the gastric epithelium; b) in the presence of gastric cancer. Efforts to differentiate between these types by the absorption technique using rabbit immunosera were successful, and it was possible to demonstrate an antigenic determinant in sulphopolysaccharides from cancerous gastric juice not present in controls with benign intestinal type heterotopia as in pernicious anemia.

On the presence of intermediate cells in the small intestine

In the small intestine, the presence of transitional cells or cells intermediate between Paneth cells and goblet cells has been reported frequently for 100 years. Light microscopy and, more recently, fine structural studies have indicated that secretory granules observed in intermediate cells share some morphologic characteristics with those of granular goblet cells and of Paneth cells. In order to verify if intermediate cells in the jejunum and ileum of the adult mouse have functional similarities with either granular goblet or Paneth cells, we have studied the incorporation of sulfur-35 by radioautography and the localization of lysozyme by immunocytochemistry. After radioautography, goblet cells and, to a lesser extent, granular goblet cells had incorporated sulfur-35, whereas Paneth cells and intermediate cells were completely negative. Immunolocalization of lysozyme was done by using rabbit anti-rat lysozyme and protein A-peroxidase. After demonstration of peroxidase activity, only Paneth cells were stained and intermediate cells were negative. Therefore, intermediate cells do not contain sulfomucin or lysozyme, and they are functionally different from goblet and Paneth cells. Their function remains unknown.

UPTAKE OF RADIOACTIVE SULPHUR BY VARIOUS TISSUES OF NORMAL AND CHOLESTEROL-FED RABBITS

The uptake of inorganic sulphur labelled with radioactive sulphate (S35) was studied in rabbits that had been fed a normal diet and rabbits that had been fed a similar diet supplemented by the addition of 1% of cholesterol for 4 months. Paper electrophoresis of alkaline extracts of cartilage, tendon, or aorta separated a peak of radioactivity that corresponded to a band that stained metachromatically with toluidine blue and that is assumed to be chondroitin sulphate. Characteristic peaks of radioactivity were found by electrophoresis of extracts of mucin-containing tissues of the gastrointestinal tract, indicating the location of sulphated mucus with a mobility different from that of chondroitin sulphate. No radioactive material was isolated from the tissues of cholesterol-fed animals that was not present in normal tissues. Highly significant over-all differences in specific activity of sulphur were found between various tissues in both normal and cholesterol-fed rabbits. A significant elevation of both specific activity and sulphur concentration was produced in the aorta as a result of cholesterol feeding.

UPTAKE OF RADIOACTIVE SULPHUR BY VARIOUS TISSUES OF NORMAL AND CHOLESTEROL-FED RABBITS

The uptake of inorganic sulphur labelled with radioactive sulphate (S35) was studied in rabbits that had been fed a normal diet and rabbits that had been fed a similar diet supplemented by the addition of 1% of cholesterol for 4 months. Paper electrophoresis of alkaline extracts of cartilage, tendon, or aorta separated a peak of radioactivity that corresponded to a band that stained metachromatically with toluidine blue and that is assumed to be chondroitin sulphate. Characteristic peaks of radioactivity were found by electrophoresis of extracts of mucin-containing tissues of the gastrointestinal tract, indicating the location of sulphated mucus with a mobility different from that of chondroitin sulphate. No radioactive material was isolated from the tissues of cholesterol-fed animals that was not present in normal tissues. Highly significant over-all differences in specific activity of sulphur were found between various tissues in both normal and cholesterol-fed rabbits. A significant elevation of both specific activity and sulphur concentration was produced in the aorta as a result of cholesterol feeding.