Chromogranin A (CgA) in the gastro-entero-pancreatic (GEP) endocrine system

Abstract

Chromogranin A (CgA) and related acidic proteins are widely distributed in the organism. They are also present in entero-endocrine cells and in other members of the paraneuron family. Therefore, CgA has been claimed as an universal marker of this cellular community. To yield precise data about the distribution of CgA in entero-endocrine cells, all segments of the gastro-intestinal tract of five mammalian species (man, cattle, pig, cat, guinea-pig) were investigated immunohistochemically for CgA. In serial semithin plastic sections, all CgA-immunoreactive endocrine cells were identified for resident amines or peptides. CgA could be found in ten hormonally identified endocrine cell types and in two or three other endocrine cell types. Entero-endocrine cells containing amines (histamine, serotonin) regularly exhibited CgA-immunoreactivities. In contrast, peptide-containing endocrine cells were largely heterogeneous: Their CgA-immunoreactivities varied among the species, among the gastro-intestinal segments, and even among the members of the same cell population. Hence, seen histochemically, CgA is no universal marker for entero-endocrine cells. Seen biochemically, the observed heterogeneities of CgA-immunoreactivities theoretically can be attributed to various factors (species-specificities of CgA, subclasses of chromogranins, processing of CgA or its proprotein). Most probably, these heterogeneities are caused by species- or cell-specific differences in the extent of processing of CgA. In addition, some findings point to certain interrelations between the processing or storage of CgA and resisdent peptides in the secretion granules of entero-endocrine cells.