Päivärinta H, Pickel V M, Eränkö L, Joh T H
Laboratory of Molecular Neurobiology, Burke Rehabilitation Center, Cornell University Medical College, White Plains, New York 10605.
J Electron Microsc Tech. 1989 Aug;12(4):389-96. doi: 10.1002/jemt.1060120411.
Light and electron microscopic immunocytochemical techniques were used to study the effect of glucocorticoids on the development of phenylethanolamine-N-methyltransferase (PNMT)-immunoreactive cells in the superior cervical ganglion (SCG) of early postnatal rats. Rats were injected daily with hydrocortisone acetate on postnatal days 2-6. The first PNMT-immunoreactive cells were detected 6 hours after the first glucocorticoid injection and their number increased after subsequent injections. No PNMT-immunoreactive cells were detected in uninjected controls. PNMT-immunoreactive fibres were seen in the ganglion 6 hours after the first glucocorticoid injection. The PNMT-immunoreactive cells consistently showed processes 2 days after beginning the glucocorticoid treatment, and long processes and fibre networks were seen in ganglia of 7-day-old rats. However, no PNMT-immunoreactive fibres were seen in the iris, which is innervated by the SCG. Ultrastructurally, most of the PNMT-immunoreactive cells had the look of small granule-containing (SGC) cells, including heterochromatin clumps along the nuclear envelope and in the center of the nucleoplasm as well as dense core vesicles. SGC cells, nonimmunoreactive to PNMT antiserum, also were seen. However, some PNMT-immunoreactive cells showed ultrastructural characteristics of nerve cells. In contrast to the SGC cells, these cells were characterized by a voluminous cytoplasm, dispersed nuclear heterochromatin, and a lack of granular vesicles. These results demonstrate that glucocorticoids induce PNMT immunoreactivity both in SGC cells and also in cells with characteristics of principal neurons.
运用光镜和电镜免疫细胞化学技术，研究糖皮质激素对新生大鼠颈上神经节（SCG）中苯乙醇胺 -N-甲基转移酶（PNMT）免疫反应性细胞发育的影响。在出生后第2至6天，每天给大鼠注射醋酸氢化可的松。首次注射糖皮质激素6小时后检测到首个PNMT免疫反应性细胞，后续注射后其数量增加。未注射的对照组中未检测到PNMT免疫反应性细胞。首次注射糖皮质激素6小时后，在神经节中可见PNMT免疫反应性纤维。开始糖皮质激素治疗2天后，PNMT免疫反应性细胞持续显示出突起，在7日龄大鼠的神经节中可见长突起和纤维网络。然而，在由SCG支配的虹膜中未见到PNMT免疫反应性纤维。超微结构上，大多数PNMT免疫反应性细胞具有含小颗粒（SGC）细胞的外观，包括沿核膜和核质中心的异染色质团块以及致密核心小泡。也可见对PNMT抗血清无免疫反应的SGC细胞。然而，一些PNMT免疫反应性细胞显示出神经细胞的超微结构特征。与SGC细胞不同，这些细胞的特征是细胞质丰富、核异染色质分散且缺乏颗粒小泡。这些结果表明，糖皮质激素在SGC细胞以及具有主要神经元特征的细胞中均诱导PNMT免疫反应性。
