ENKEPHALIN-LIKE IMMUNOREACTIVITY IN HUMAN ADRENAL-MEDULLARY CULTURES

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  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 48  (1) , 13-18
Abstract
Normal adult human chromaffin cells in culture contain abundant immunoreactive enkephalin and exhibit spontaneous and nerve growth factor-induced outgrowth of processes. In cultures of adrenals from 2 age-matched white males, approximately 70% of chromaffin cells from one case and 50% from the other contained immunocytochemically demonstrable Leu-enkephalin-like material. There was no apparent correlation between enkephalin-like immunoreactivity and capacity for process outgrowth. Cells with and without processes stained for enkephalin, and the percentages of stained cells with processes appeared to change in proportion of overall process outgrowth. Numerous cells with and without processes also failed to stain for enkephalin. Marked variations in sizes of stained cells and in distribution and intensity of staining were observed in all of the cultures. Apparently adult chromaffin cells are heterogeneous at a number of levels.