Microscopic Anatomy of the Pulmonary Neuroepithelial Bodies in Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats

Abstract

Neuroepithelial bodies (NEBs) are clusters of highly specialized cells spread in the epithelium of intrapulmonary airways. The present study aimed at the identification and morphological description of the pulmonary NEBs in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRs). Tissue slices from the lungs of 1-month-old male SHRs were stained routinely with hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) or with the vital dye neutral red. The H&E staining revealed the neuroendocrine cells as visible clusters of clear cells seen in the airway epithelium. Neutral red staining visualized the NEBs as reddish cell clusters protruding in the airway lumen. Our results support the general morphological structure of sensory receptors in SHRs. Their role and significance in the development of essential hypertension remains to be clarified.