Immunocytochemistry of the microtubules of fat-laden cells

Abstract

Cytoplasmic microtubules of fat-laden cells containing fine lipid droplets, such as brown fat cells and adrenocortical cells, were studied in relation to the metabolism of intracellular lipid. In these cells, the amount and distribution of lipid droplets reflect the state of inherent cellular function. Materials used were primary monolayer culture of fetal rat brown fat cells and that of bovine adrenocortical cells. The method was the immunocytochemistry with anti-tubulin antibody. When brown fat cells were being lipolyzed or the steroidogenesis of adrenocortical cells were being stimulated, the cytoplasmic microtubules in the cells were organized in a radial pattern in response to the behavior of the lipid droplets. It is assumed that the microtubules were in the regulation of cellular function in terms of the metabolism of lipid droplets in these cells. We have devised, in the course of the current study, a double fluorescence technique as an observational method whereby microtubules were observed immunocytochemically and lipid droplets by a secondary fluorescence with phosphine E staining.

Dual effect of antimitotic drugs on steroid secretion in mouse adrenocortical Y-1 tumor cells.

“…Recently much attention has been paid to the cytoskeletons as possible candidates of this transportation system. Both anatomical and physiological studies have shown that microtubules and actin filaments are involved in adrenocortical steroid secretion (4,11,13,14,19,21).…”