Cerebellar Purkinje cell-specific protein-like immunoreactivity in noradrenaline-chromaffin cells and ganglion cells but not in adrenaline-chromaffin cells in the rat adrenal medulla.

By means of immunohistochemistry combined with fluorescence microscopy, a cerebellar Purkinje cell-specific protein, also named spot 35 protein, was found to occur in all noradrenaline-chromaffin cells and some ganglion cells of the rat adrenal medulla. The immunoreactivity was localized in the chromaffin granules as well as the cytoplasmic matrix. The nucleus as well as the interior of the membranous organelles, were free of immunoreaction. No immunoreactivity was found in most of the intra-adrenal nerve fibers except for a few nerve fibers derived from the immunoreactive ganglion cells. Neither Schwann, satellite cells nor cortical cells were immunoreactive. It is suggested that some intracellular phenomenon possibly relating to the regulation of intracellular Ca-ion concentration is common to noradrenaline-chromaffin cells, medullary ganglion cells and cerebellar Purkinje cells.