ELECTRON-MICROSCOPIC IDENTIFICATION OF HISTIDINE DECARBOXYLASE-CONTAINING ENDOCRINE-CELLS OF THE RAT GASTRIC-MUCOSA - AN IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

The localization of histidine decarboxylase-like immunoreactive structures in the mucosal cells of the rat stomach was studied by the peroxidase-antiperoxidase method. At the light microscopic level, histidine decarboxylase-like immunoreactivity-containing cells were concentrated in the basal part of the oxyntic region, whereas in other areas no immunoreactive cells were seen. Ultrastructural study showed that reaction end products were diffusely distributed within the cytoplasm of the enterochromaffin-like cells but other cell types such as A cells, G cells and enterochromaffin cells were not labeled. Enterochromaffin-like cells synthesize histamine.