Immunohistochemical analysis of sustentacular cells in the adrenal medulla, carotid body and sympathetic ganglion of mice using an antibody against brain‐type fatty acid binding protein (B‐FABP)

Abstract

Little attention has been paid to adrenal sustentacular cells, and several major histology textbooks do not even describe them. This study presents a detailed morphological description of sustentacular cells using immunolight microscopy and an antibody against brain-type fatty acid-binding protein. The immunopositive sustentacular cells and processes formed lattices with holes of various sizes and compactnesses or openness. In addition, weakly immunostained sheet-like structures with ill-defined contours were often associated with the processes and lattices. In the carotid body, which has traditionally been classified under the name of paraganglia in common with the adrenal medulla, immunostained sustentacular cell processes formed lattices in association with the weakly immunostained sheet-like structures, but the lattices with sheets were more compact and rigid than the adrenal medulla, and appeared like individually distinct compartments. In the ganglion, the immunostained satellite cell processes with the sheets tightly enclosed individual neurons. As a result, the immunostained sheet-like structures were regarded as en-face views of thinly flattened sustentacular cytoplasmic envelopes partially covering the chromaffin cells in the adrenal medulla, and widely in the carotid body in a way rather similar to the satellite cells in the ganglion. In brief, the terminal enclosing portions of adrenal sustentacular cell processes, in cut-views, were too thin/flat to be recognized as distinct lines in immuno-light microscopy because of its resolution limit. They are recognized in en-face views as entities of a substantially spacious extension in immuno-light microscopy.

From proliferation to target innervation: signaling molecules that direct sympathetic nervous system development

“…The adrenal medulla also contains the glial-like sustentacular cells, expressing the glial markers S100 and BFABP (Kameda, 2007, Pakkarato, et al, 2015. These cells are generated from the neural crest cell and retain Sox10 expression.…”

“…Sustentacular cells in adult are mainly located in the noradrenergic region of adrenal medulla (Suzuki and Kachi, 1994). These cells form sheet-like structures partially enveloping groups of noradrenergic chromaffin cells (Ahmed, 2017, Pakkarato, et al, 2015. The function of sustentacular cells in the adrenal is still unclear, however it is believed that they play a role in supporting and regulating catecholamine secretion (Ahmed, 2017, Pakkarato, et al, 2015, Rodriguez, et al, 2007.…”

Advances in cellular and integrative control of oxygen homeostasis within the central nervous system

“…; Pakkarato et al . ) and there are proposed to be several subtypes (McDonald & Mitchell, ; Chen & Yates, ; Prabhakhar et al . ).…”

Molecular and cellular mechanisms of the organogenesis and development of the mammalian carotid body

“…S100 immunoreactivity begins to appear at P14 . Both glial cells and glial progenitors in the sympathetic trunk express brain lipid‐binding protein (BLBP; also called brain‐type fatty acid‐binding protein, B‐FABP) . BLBP belongs to a family of fatty acid‐binding proteins and is expressed in radial glia in the developing brain.…”