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Journal of Histochemistry and Cytochemistry, Vol. 51, 187-198, February 2003, Copyright © 2003, The Histochemical Society, Inc.

ARTICLE

Brush Cells of Rodent Gallbladder and Stomach Epithelia Express Neurofilaments

Liliana Lucianoa, Stephanie Groosb, and Enrico Realea
a Departments of Cell Biology, Center of Anatomy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany
b Microscopic Anatomy, Center of Anatomy, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany

Correspondence to: Liliana Luciano, Dept. of Cell Biology, Center of Anatomy, Hannover Medical School, Carl-Neuberg-Str. 1, 30625 Hannover, Germany. E-mail: luciano.liliana@mh-hannover.de

It has been suggested that brush cells (BCs), a distinct type of cell occurring in various epithelia of the respiratory and gastrointestinal tracts, may function as receptor cells. The major characteristics of BCs are a prominent brush border and an unusually highly ordered arrangement of cytoskeletal elements (F-actin, microtubules, and intermediate filaments). In this study we aimed to characterize the nature of the intermediate filaments in BCs by light and electron microscopic immunostaining. Gallbladder and stomach specimens from mice and rats, respectively, were fixed in various solutions, embedded either in paraffin or epoxy resin, and processed for immunodetection. Commercially available, well-characterized antibodies against neurofilaments, peripherin, and cytokeratin peptide 18 were used. The polyclonal antiserum cocktail to neurofilaments was applied as a supplement in a double-labeling procedure with anti-actin and anti-cytokeratin 18 antibodies. The results demonstrate that the BCs of both organs express two types of intermediate filaments, i.e., neurofilaments and cytokeratin 18 filaments, and that these have a compartmentalized distribution in the cytoplasm. BCs do not express peripherin. The immunodetection of intermediate filaments distinctive for mature neurons in BCs supports their putative receptor function. The co-expression of neurofilaments and cytokeratins is shown for the first time in healthy tissues. (J Histochem Cytochem 51:187–198, 2003)

Key Words: F-actin, microtubules, intermediate filaments, peripherin, cytokeratin 18, Western blot, immunoelectron microscopy, double labeling, epoxy resin


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