MORPHOMETRICAL AND IMMUNOCYTOCHEMICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF PERI-INSULAR AND TELE-INSULAR ACINAR-CELLS IN THE RAT PANCREAS

  • 1 January 1985
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 36  (2) , 263-268
Abstract
Morphometrical and immunocytochemical techniques were used to characterize the pancreatic acinar cells located in periinsular and teleinsular regions of the pancreas. The acinar cells of the periinsular regions are twice as large as those of the teleinsular. The volume density of all organelles, except that of the zymogen granules, remains constant implying that the larger the cell, the larger are its organelles. For the zymogen granules, their volume density was found to be higher in periinsular acinar cells. The immunofluorescence technique applied for the demonstration of amylase and chymotrypsinogen has confirmed the presence of an inhomogeneity in the staining. Acinar cells in periinsular regions show a brighter fluorescent staining. At the EM level, both amylase and chymotrypsinogen were demonstrated in all organelles of acinar cells involved in protein secretion. Quantitative evaluations demonstrate no major differences in the intensity of labeling/.mu.m2 between organelles of periinsular and teleinsular cells. Periinsular acinar cells contain higher amounts of secretory proteins because their organelles are larger and their zymogen granules are more numerous. The partition of the exocrine pancreas into peri- and teleinsular regions, confirmed herein through morphometrical and cytochemical techniques, is discussed in relation to the possible influence of the endocrine secretion arising from the islets of Langerhans on the surrounding acinar cells.

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