Structural and Ultrastructural Characteristics of Interrenal Gland and Chromaffin Cell of Matrinxã, Brycon cephalus Gunther 1869 (Teleostei‐Characidae)

Abstract

This work presents the structure and ultrastructure of the interrenal gland and chromaffin cells, as well as the morphology of the head kidney of Brycon cephalus. The head kidney is composed of fused bilateral lobes located anterior to the swim bladder and ventrolateral to the spinal column. The parenchyma revealed lympho-haematopoietic tissue, melano-macrophage centres, interrenal gland and chromaffin cells. The interrenal gland consisted of cords or strands of cells grouped around the posterior cardinal vein and their branches. Chromaffin cells are found in small groups, closely associated with the interrenal gland and/or under the endothelium of the posterior cardinal vein. So far, the ultrastructural analysis has revealed only one interrenal cell type which contained abundant smooth endoplasmic reticulum and numerous mitochondria with tubulo-vesicular cristae, characteristic of steroid-producing cells. Two types of chromaffin cells were observed. The first type was characterized by the presence of vesicles with round, strongly electron-dense granules, which were eccentrically located. Such cells were interpreted as noradrenaline cells. Meanwhile, cells which contained smaller vesicles and electron-lucent granules, with a small halo separating the granule from the vesicular limiting membrane, were identified as adrenaline cells.

Histological Organization of Thyroid and Interrenal Glands of the Pearl Mullet, Alburnus tarichi (Cypriniformes: Cyprinidae) from Lake Van Basin of Turkey

“…In the present study, the interrenal and chromaffin cells are located in the head kidney and are mainly associated with the postcardinal veins and its branches. Similar findings were also reported in other teleostean fishes (Chakrabarti 2014;Chakrabarti & Ghosh 2014;Durkina 2006;Rocha et al 2001;Sampour 2008). On the other hand, there are differences in the distribution and organization of these cells among fish species.…”

“…The chromaffin cells were larger than the interrenal cells, when stained with H&E they exhibited a pale cytoplasm and had a large slightly basophilic nucleus with a prominent nucleolus. Those results coincide with most teleost fishes (Chakrabarti 2014;Chakrabarti & Ghosh 2014;Durkina 2006;Rocha et al 2001;Sampour 2008). In some instances, the chromaffin cell groups were observed to be associated with a ganglion cell in pearl mullet.…”

“…The nuclei of the interrenal cells were usually round and basophilic. The histochemical observations were similar to those of other fish species, where the eosinophilic coloration of the cytoplasm of interrenal cells was also reported in matrinxã (Bryon cephalus) (Rocha et al 2001), pacu (Piaractus mesopotamicus) (Gazola et al 1995), flounder (Durkina 2006) and cichlid fish (Cichlasoma dimerus) (Morandini et al 2014). The chromaffin cells were larger than the interrenal cells, when stained with H&E they exhibited a pale cytoplasm and had a large slightly basophilic nucleus with a prominent nucleolus.…”

“…In rainbow trout (Oncorhyncus mykiss), the interrenal gland and chromaffin cells are distributed separately, not intermingled; whereas in common carp (Cyprinus carpio), the interrenal gland was seen as consisting of well-developed glandular masses around the postcardinal vein with branches penetrating the head kidney and the chromaffin cells are detectable among the interrenal cells (Aida et al 1995). In matrinxã (Bryon cephalus), the interrenal cells present three pattern arrangements related to the blood vessels: two to three cell layers, well-defined groups and lobules and spreading inside with multiple cell layers around the sinusoids in the head kidney, while chromaffin cells are closely associated with postcardinal vein and its branches and form groups and they are separated from the interrenal cells by a thin layer of connective tissue (Rocha et al 2001). In stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus), the gland tissue is composed of cords and nests of interrenal and chromaffin cells surrounding the post cardinal veins and their branches (Civinini et al 2001).…”

“…The release of corticosteroids (cortisol) upon stimulation of the brain-pituitary-interrenal axis and release of catecholamines (adrenaline and noradrenaline) upon stimulation of the brain-sympathetic-chromaffin cell axis together constitute what is referred to as the stress in fish (Janz 2000). It has been reported that the intermingling position and distribution of the interrenal and chromaffin cells associated with the postcardinal vein and its branches can vary depending on the fish species (Abdel-Aziz 2010; Chakrabarti & Ghosh 2014;Rocha et al 2001).…”