Immunohistochemical examination of the relationship between two types of mucous neck cell and the intermediate cells in the rat fundic gland.

It is generally accepted that the mucous neck cells are the precursors of chief cells, and that they are converted to chief cells via intermediate cells. We reported previously that two types of mucous neck cell are present in the region close to the cardia of the rat fundic gland. Using immunoelectron microscopy and lectin histochemistry, we examined whether the two histochemically distinct types of mucous neck cell are converted to chief cells via intermediate cells by the same process. Intermediate cells were positive for immunostaining with an antibody raised against neutral mucin but negative for staining with Limax flavus agglutinin (LFA). It is proposed that the mucous neck cells that contain neutral mucin are converted to chief cells via intermediate cells. The cells containing acidic mucin are first converted to mucous neck cells that contain neutral mucin and then to chief cells via intermediate cells.