Chromaffin Cells: Modified Neurons that are Both Targets and Storage Sites of Neuronotrophic and Neurite Promoting Factors

Author(s):  
Klaus Unsicker ◽  
Rolf Lietzke
Keyword(s):  
1959 ◽  
Vol 18 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-NP ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. COUPLAND

SUMMARY Auto- and homografts of adrenal medullae depleted of reserpine were used in order to follow the rate of synthesis and storage of pressor amines in non-innervated chromaffin cells. The changes were followed by histochemical methods. The findings indicate that there is no significant difference between the rate of storage of catechol amines in the implanted chromaffin cell and in the normal adrenal medulla.


1968 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 487-490 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. E. COUPLAND

SUMMARY The effects of corticosterone and deoxycorticosterone in concentrations of 10 and 30 μ./ml. on organ cultures of extra-adrenal chromaffin cells of neonatal rabbits were investigated. The presence of corticosterone resulted in synthesis and storage of about 35% of adrenaline. Deoxycorticosterone did not induce methylation so that the ratio of catecholamines remained at about 90% noradrenaline. The results indicate the importance of the 11-oxy group in steroid-induced methylation of catecholamines.


Author(s):  
R. C. Gonzalez

Interest in digital image processing techniques dates back to the early 1920's, when digitized pictures of world news events were first transmitted by submarine cable between New York and London. Applications of digital image processing concepts, however, did not become widespread until the middle 1960's, when third-generation digital computers began to offer the speed and storage capabilities required for practical implementation of image processing algorithms. Since then, this area has experienced vigorous growth, having been a subject of interdisciplinary research in fields ranging from engineering and computer science to biology, chemistry, and medicine.


Author(s):  
John W. Roberts ◽  
E. R. Witkus

The isopod hepatopancreas, as exemplified by Oniscus ascellus. is comprised of four blind-ending diverticula. The regenerative cells at the tip of each diverticula differentiate into either club-shaped B-cells, which serve a secretory function, or into conoid S-cells, which serve in the absorption and storage of nutrients.The glandular B-cells begin producing secretory material with the development of rough endoplasmic reticulum during their process of maturation from the undifferentiated regenerative cells. Cytochemical and morphological data indicate that the hepatopancreas sequentially produces two types of secretory material within the large club-shaped cells. The production of the carbohydrate-like secretory product in immature cells seems to be phased out as the production of the osmiophilic secretion was phased in as the cell matured.


Author(s):  
Joe A. Mascorro ◽  
Robert D. Yates

Extra-adrenal chromaffin organs (abdominal paraganglia) constitute rich sources of catecholamines. It is believed that these bodies contain norepinephrine exclusively. However, the present workers recently observed epinephrine type granules in para- ganglion cells. This report investigates catecholamine containing granules in rabbit paraganglia at the ultrastructural level.New Zealand white rabbits (150-170 grams) were anesthetized with 50 mg/kg Nembutal (IP) and perfused with 3% glutaraldehyde buffered with 0.2M sodium phosphate, pH 7.3. The retroperitoneal tissue blocks were removed and placed in perfusion fluid for 4 hours. The abdominal paraganglia were dissected from the blocks, diced, washed in phosphate buffer and fixed in 1% osmic acid buffered with phosphate. In other animals, the glutaraldehyde perfused tissue blocks were immersed for 1 hour in 3% glutaraldehyde/2.5% potassium iodate buffered as before. The paraganglia were then diced, separated into two vials and washed in the buffer. A portion of this tissue received osmic acid fixation.


Author(s):  
George D. Pappas ◽  
Jacqueline Sagen

We have been interested in the use of neural transplants mainly as a local source of neuroactive substances, rather than as a replacement for damaged neural circuities. In particular, we have been exploring the possibilities of reducing pain by transplants of opioid peptide producing cells, and reducing depression by transplants of monoamine-producing cells. For the past several years, work in our laboratory has demonstrated in both acute and chronic pain models that transplantation of adrenal medullary tissue or isolated chromaffin cells into CNS pain modulatory regions can reduce pain sensitivity in rodents. Chromaffin cells were chosen as donor source since they produce high levels of both opioid peptides and catecholamines, substances which independently, and probably synergistically, reduce pain sensitivity when injected locally into the spinal cord. The analgesia produced by these transplants most likely results from the release of both opioid peptides and catecholamines, since it can be blocked or attenuated by opiate or adrenergic antagonists, respectively. Furthermore, CSF levels of met-enkephalin and catecholamines are increased by the transplants.


Author(s):  
J. M. Paque ◽  
R. Browning ◽  
P. L. King ◽  
P. Pianetta

Geological samples typically contain many minerals (phases) with multiple element compositions. A complete analytical description should give the number of phases present, the volume occupied by each phase in the bulk sample, the average and range of composition of each phase, and the bulk composition of the sample. A practical approach to providing such a complete description is from quantitative analysis of multi-elemental x-ray images.With the advances in recent years in the speed and storage capabilities of laboratory computers, large quantities of data can be efficiently manipulated. Commercial software and hardware presently available allow simultaneous collection of multiple x-ray images from a sample (up to 16 for the Kevex Delta system). Thus, high resolution x-ray images of the majority of the detectable elements in a sample can be collected. The use of statistical techniques, including principal component analysis (PCA), can provide insight into mineral phase composition and the distribution of minerals within a sample.


Author(s):  
Gemma A.J. Kuijpers ◽  
Harvey B. Pollard

Exocytotic fusion of granules in the adrenal medulla chromaffin cell is triggered by a rise in the concentration of cytosolic Ca2+ upon cell activation. The protein synexin, annexin VII, was originally found in the adrenal medulla and has been shown to cause aggregation and to support fusion of chromaffin granules in a Ca2+-dependent manner. We have previously suggested that synexin may there fore play a role in the exocytotic fusion process. In order to obtain more structural information on synexin, we performed immuno-electron microscopy on frozen ultrathin sections of both isolated chromaffin granules and chromaffin cells.Chromaffin granules were isolated from bovine adrenal medulla, and synexin was isolated from bovine lung. Granules were incubated in the presence or absence of synexin (24 μg per mg granule protein) and Ca2+ (1 mM), which induces maximal granule aggregation, in 0.3M sucrose-40m MMES buffer(pH 6.0). Granules were pelleted, washed twice in buffer without synexin and fixed with 2% glutaraldehyde- 2% para formaldehyde in 0.1 M phosphate buffer (GA/PFA) for 30 min. Chromaffin cells were isolated and cultured for 3-5 days, and washed and incubated in Krebs solution with or without 20 uM nicotine. Cells were fixed 90 sec after on set of stimulation with GA/PFA for 30 min. Fixed granule or cell pellets were washed, infiltrated with 2.3 M sucrose in PBS, mounted and frozen in liquid N2.


Author(s):  
H.B. Pollard ◽  
C.E. Creutz ◽  
C.J. Pazoles ◽  
J.H. Scott

Exocytosis is a general concept describing secretion of enzymes, hormones and transmitters that are otherwise sequestered in intracellular granules. Chemical evidence for this concept was first gathered from studies on chromaffin cells in perfused adrenal glands, in which it was found that granule contents, including both large protein and small molecules such as adrenaline and ATP, were released together while the granule membrane was retained in the cell. A number of exhaustive reviews of this early work have been published and are summarized in Reference 1. The critical experiments demonstrating the importance of extracellular calcium for exocytosis per se were also first performed in this system (2,3), further indicating the substantial service given by chromaffin cells to those interested in secretory phenomena over the years.


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