Comparative histochemical study of alimentary tracts with special reference to the mucous neck cells of the stomach

Abstract

Combinations of recently developed paradoxical concanavalin-A staining (PCS) and other routine histochemical procedures have made it possible to classify mucosubstances more precisely. By taking advantage of these sequences, the present study was undertaken both to characterize the mucinous contents of alimentary tracts of several animal species, and to compare the variability of epithelial mucosubstances with special reference to the mucous neck cells of the stomach. The alimentary tracts obtained from 7 species of fish, 5 amphibians, 3 reptiles, 4 birds, and 6 mammals were used. Acidity of epithelial mucosubstances was highly variable even among the corresponding mucous cells. On the contrary, concanavalin-A reactivity seemed to be consistent with each cell and species. The mucous neck cells, which were observed in amphibians, reptiles, and mammals, consistently exhibited a characteristic mucosubstance with stable class-III reactivity by PCS. Inversely, stable class-III reactivity was found only in species possessing mucous neck cells, and was widely distributed in the esophageal glands of the frog, snake, and man; in esophageal mucous cells of the frog and skink; in pyloric glands of amphibia, reptiles, and mammals; and in Brunner's glands of mammals. These mucous cells seem to form an unique group with morphological and histochemical similarities. It is likely that the stable class-III reactivity by PCS is a hallmark of the mucous neck cells and related glands and that, in addition, concanavalin-A reactivity of mucosubstances is evolutionarily more fundamental characteristic.

Expression of Gastric Gland Mucous Cell-Type Mucin in Normal and Neoplastic Human Tissues

“…The latter, which includes cardiac gland cells, mucous neck cells, and pyloric gland cells, possess class III mucin, as identified by paradoxical concanavalin A staining (Katsuyama and Spicer 1978;Suganuma et al 1981;Ota et al 2001). In normal human tissues, class III mucin is expressed in gastric gland mucous cells, Brunner's gland cells, and mucous cells of the accessory glands of the pancreaticobiliary tract (Katsuyama and Spicer 1978;Suganuma et al 1981;Ota et al 1991Ota et al ,1998Nakamura et al 1998). Class III mucin is also expressed in gastric metaplasia of the gallbladder (Tsutsumi et al 1984) and mucinous metaplasia of the pancreas (Matsuzawa et al 1992;Ota et al 2001;Zhang et al 2001), and in carcinoma of stomach (Akamatsu and Katsuyama 1990;Lesuffleur et al 1994;Fujimori et al 1995;Nakamura et al 1998;Ota et al 2001), bile duct (Kijima et al 1989;Ota et al 1995), gallbladder (Tsutsumi et al 1984), and pancreas (Matsuzawa et al 1992;Nakamura et al 1998;Ota et al 2001), as well as in mucinous bronchioloalveolar cell carcinoma of the lung (Honda et al 1998;Ota et al 2001) and adenoma malignum of the uterine cervix (Ishii et al ,1999 Several years ago, Ishihara et al (1996) raised a specific monoclonal antibody (MAb) against gastric mucin, designated HIK1083, which recognizes N -acetylglucosamin ␣ 1 → 4galactose ␤ → R (GlcNAc ␣ 1 → 4Gal ␤ → R).…”

Histochemical and Immunohistochemical Analysis of the Stomach of Rhinella icterica (Anura, Bufonidae)

“…According to Suganuma and coworkers [12], amphibians were the first vertebrates to develop true mucous neck cells, which are the precursors of chief cells via intermediate cells [31]. In anurans, mucins are produced by goblet cells found in the esophagus and the intestines, but also by epithelial cells and mucous neck cells in the stomach [43].…”

“…Histochemical studies indicate differences regarding the qualitative expression of neutral, sulfated, and carboxylated mucosubstances [10,11]. The mucosubstances, which phylogenetically first appeared in mucous neck cells of the gastric glands of anurans [12], have already been reported for Rana aurora aurora [13], Bufo viridis [14], Rana perezi [15], Bufo melanostictus [3], and Bufo marinus [16], indicating variability among anuran species. Furthermore, different types of carbohydrates were identified in secretory cells in the stomach of Bufo viridis [17,18] and Rana esculenta [19].…”

Application of Mucin Histochemistry for Pathological Diagnosis. Expression of Gastric Phenotypes in Metaplastic and Neoplastic Lesions and its Relation to the Organoid Differentiation.

“…Surface mucous cells stain blue with galactose oxidase cold thionin Schiff reaction (GOCTS) [55] or stain red with galactose oxidase Schiff reaction (GOS) [34,35,62], and show immunoreactivity to cathepsin E [74]. In contrast, glandular mucous cells exhibit class III Con A reactivity with paradoxical Concanavalin A staining (PCS) [1,33,34,37,46,55,72,75] and show immunoreactivity to lysozyme [17,58], pepsinogens [17,75]. With immunostaining for pepsinogens, secretory granules of the mucous neck cells and chief cells stained for pepsinogen type I [17,75].…”

“…We and others have previously described the different histochemical reactivities of these two types of mucous cells, surface mucous cells and glandular mucous cells [33,34,36,37,55,63,72,76]. Surface mucous cells stain blue with galactose oxidase cold thionin Schiff reaction (GOCTS) [55] or stain red with galactose oxidase Schiff reaction (GOS) [34,35,62], and show immunoreactivity to cathepsin E [74].…”