Immunohistochemical distribution of vimentin, desmin, glial fibrillary acidic protein and neurofilament proteins in feline tissues.

The immunohistochemical distribution pattern of vimentin, desmin, glial fibrillary acidic protein and neurofilaments intermediate filament proteins has been analyzed in a wide range of formalin fixed, paraffin embedded tissues using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies raised against non-feline antigens. The vimentin antibody reacted with mesenchymal cells, the desmin antibody with striated and smooth muscle fibres, the glial fibrillary acidic protein antibody with glial cells in the central and peripheral nervous system, and the neurofilament proteins antibody with neuronal cell bodies and processes. In addition, some epithelial cells were vimentin positive, perisinusoidal liver cells were desmin positive, and basal/myoepithelial cells of the mammary gland, and luteinic cells were glial fibrillary acidic protein positive. These staining patterns of feline tissues are basically similar with respect to that of corresponding tissues in other mammalian species for each of the four intermediate filament proteins studied, but some differences have been also noticed. This study confirms the broad interspecies cross-reactivity of intermediate filament proteins antisera and demonstrates their capability to differentiate particular types of feline cells and tissues.