Endocrine cells in the prostate gland, urothelium and Brenner tumors. Immunohistological and ultrastructural studies.

Endocrine cells are a normal constituent of the prostate gland, prostatic urethra and urinary bladder mucosa. Positive results using immunohistochemical technics were obtained only with antiserotonin antibodies. In normal tissues, there was a close similarity between the distribution of argyrophilic cells (Grimelius) and serotonin-storing cells. Some striking features were the patchy distribution of endocrine cells, the presence of slender cytoplasmic processes occasionally reaching the luminal surface and the paucity of specialized cells in bladder mucosa. It is unlikely that endocrine cells participate in conventional neoplasms of prostate and bladder. Exceptions are lobular hyperplasia, certain adeno-carcinomas of prostate and inverted papilloma of bladder. An ultrastructural study permitted the distinction of two types of endocrine cells characterized by a different morphology of their granules. Another relevant finding was the presence of serotonin-storing cells in Brenner tumors. The latter observation emphasizes the close similarity between this neoplastic epithelium and urothelium. This implies that endocrine cells may be of mesodermal derivation.