Summary
The increase in numbers of extra-adrenal chromaffin cells of abdominal paraganglia in senescent F344 rats was investigated by 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine immunocytochemistry. A monoclonal antibody raised against 5-bromo-2′-deoxyuridine was used to react with tissue-sections of paraganglia taken from 28-month-old animals given weekly injections of the thymidine analog over a 14-week period. No immunoreactivity was detected in the extra-adrenal chromaffin cells, whereas control sections of intestinal epithelium showed abundant immunoreactivity. Also, the profile for immunoreactivity of the glucocorticoid receptor in relation to age was compared between extra-adrenal and adrenal chromaffin cells, which share cytological characteristics, but not the increase associated with senescence. In the extra-adrenal chromaffin cells, the intensity of receptor immunostaining was unchanged, while in the adrenal chromaffin cells it decreased with age. These results indicate that hypertrophy of the paraganglia in aged F344 rats is not due to the proliferation of extra-adrenal chromaffin cells. Instead, they suggest that the chromaffin cell phenotype may be induced in pre-existing cells and that the expression of the glucocorticoid receptor has an intrinsic role in this change.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Antakly T, Eisen HJ (1984) Immunocytochemical localization of glucocorticoid receptor in target cells. Endocrinology 115:1984–1989
Bertel O, Buhler FR, Kiowski W, Lutold BE (1980) Decreased beta-adrenoreceptor responsiveness as related to age, blood pressure, and plasma catecholamines in patients with essential hypertension. Hypertension 2:130–138
Böck P (1982) The paraganglia. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York
Cleaver JE (1967) Thymidine metabolism and cell kinetics. In: Neuberger A, Tatum EL (eds) Frontiers of biology, vol 6, John Wiley, New York, pp 104–136
De la Torre JC (1980) An improved approach to histofluorescence using the SPG method for tissue monoamines. J Neurosci Methods 3:1–5
Doupe AJ, Landis SC, Patterson PH (1985a) Environmental influences in the development of neural crest derivatives: glucocorticoids, growth factors, and chromaffin cell plasticity. J Neurosci 5:2119–2142
Doupe AJ, Patterson PH, Landis SC (1986b) Small intensely fluorescent cells in culture: role of glucocorticoids and growth factors in their development and interconversions with other neural crest derivatives. J Neurosci 5:2143–2160
Eisen HJ, Schleenbaker RE, Simons SS (1981) Affinity labeling of the rat liver glucocorticoid receptor with dexamethasone 21-mesylate. Identification of covalently labeled receptor by immunocytochemical methods. J Biol Chem 256:12920–12925
Eisen LP, Reichman ME, Thompson EB, Gametchu B, Harrison RW, Eisen HJ (1985) Monoclonal antibody to the rat glucocorticoid receptor. Relationship between the immunocreative and DNA-binding domain. J Biol Chem 260:11805–11810
Gratzner HG (1982) Monoclonal antibody to 5-bromo-and 5-iododeoxyuridine: a new reagent for detection for detection of DNA replication. Science 218:474–475
Harms G, van Goor H, Koudstaal J, de Ley L, Hardonk MJ (1986) Immunohistochemical demonstration of DNA-incorporated 5-bromodeoxyuridine in frozen and plastic embedded sections. Histochemistry 85:139–143
Kalimi M (1984) Glucocorticoid receptors: from development to aging. A review. Mech Aging Dev 24:129–138
Landfield PW, Waymire JC, Lynch G (1978) Hippocampal aging and adrenocorticoids: quantitative correlations. Science 202:1098–1102
Le Douarin NM, Teillet M-AM (1974) Experimental analysis of the migration and differentiation of neuroblasts of the autonomic nervous system and of neuroectodermal mesenchymal derivatives, using a biological cell marking technique. Dev Biol 41:162–184
Lempinen M, Ojala K (1968) Effect of corticosterone and 11-desoxycortisol on the extra-adrenal chromaffin tissue of the rat. Acta Physiol Scand 73:75–77
Mascorro JA, Yates RD (1980) Paraneurons and paraganglia: histological and ultrastructural comparisons between intraganglionic paraneurons and extra-adrenal paraganglion cells. Adv Biochem Psychopharmacol 25:201–213
Partanen M, Hervonen A, Rapoport SI (1984a) The ultrastructure of hypertrophied paraganglia in aged rats. J Anat 139:619–626
Partanen M, Linnoila I, Hervonen A, Rapoport SI (1984b) The effect of aging on extra-adrenal catecholamine storing cells of the rat. Neurobiol Aging 5:105–110
Roth GS (1974) Age-related changes in specific glucocorticoid binding by steroid-responsive tissues of rats. Endocrinology 94:82–90
Sato A, Sato H, Suzuki H (1987) Changes in sympatho-adrenal medullary functions during aging. In: Ciriello J, Calaresu FR, Renaud LP, Polosa C (eds) Organization of the autonomic nervous system: central and peripheral mechanisms. Alan R Liss, New York, pp 27–36
Ziegler MG, Lake CR, Kopin IJ (1976) Plasma noradrenaline increases with age. Nature 261:333–335
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Yang, G., Matocha, M.F. & Rapoport, S.I. Increased numbers of extra-adrenal chromaffin cells in the abdominal paraganglia of senescent F344 rats: A possible role for the glucocorticoid receptor. Cell Tissue Res 259, 233–238 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318444
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00318444