Skip to main content
PMC home page
Thorax logoLink to Thorax
. 1988 Nov;43(11):878–882. doi: 10.1136/thx.43.11.878

Neuroendocrine cell populations in normal human lungs: a quantitative study.

J R Gosney 1, M C Sissons 1, R O Allibone 1
PMCID: PMC461542  PMID: 3065973

Abstract

Pulmonary neuroendocrine cells, identified by their positive immunochemical reaction for neurone specific enolase, were readily demonstrable and uniformly distributed in 15 pairs of normal adult human lungs. About 65% contained gastrin releasing peptide and nearly all the rest contained calcitonin. Leucine-enkephalin was not found. Serotonin containing cells were few, and cells immunoreactive for adrenocorticotrophin and antidiuretic hormone were absent. About one in 10 cells was argyrophilic, and costorage of peptides was not seen.

Full text

PDF
881

Images in this article

880Image
on p.880
880Image
on p.880
880Image
on p.880

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Barnes P. J. Regulatory peptides in the respiratory system. Experientia. 1987 Jul 15;43(7):832–839. doi: 10.1007/BF01945361. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Becker K. L., Monaghan K. G., Silva O. L. Immunocytochemical localization of calcitonin in Kulchitsky cells of human lung. Arch Pathol Lab Med. 1980 Apr;104(4):196–198. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bryant D. H. The syndrome of inappropriate secretion of antidiuretic hormone in infectious pulmonary disease. Med J Aust. 1972 Jun 17;1(25):1285–1288. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1972.tb116493.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Cadieux A., Springall D. R., Mulderry P. K., Rodrigo J., Ghatei M. A., Terenghi G., Bloom S. R., Polak J. M. Occurrence, distribution and ontogeny of CGRP immunoreactivity in the rat lower respiratory tract: effect of capsaicin treatment and surgical denervations. Neuroscience. 1986 Oct;19(2):605–627. doi: 10.1016/0306-4522(86)90285-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cutz E., Chan W., Track N. S. Bombesin, calcitonin and leu-enkephalin immunoreactivity in endocrine cells of human lung. Experientia. 1981 Jul 15;37(7):765–767. doi: 10.1007/BF01967969. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Gosney J. R., Sissons M. C., O'Malley J. A. Quantitative study of endocrine cells immunoreactive for calcitonin in the normal adult human lung. Thorax. 1985 Nov;40(11):866–869. doi: 10.1136/thx.40.11.866. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Gosney J. R., Sissons M. C. Widespread distribution of bronchopulmonary endocrine cells immunoreactive for calcitonin in the lung of the normal adult rat. Thorax. 1985 Mar;40(3):194–198. doi: 10.1136/thx.40.3.194. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Grimelius L. The argyrophil reaction in islet cells of adult human pancreas studies with a new silver nitrate procedure. Acta Soc Med Ups. 1968;73(5-6):271–294. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hage E. Amine-handling properties of APUD-cells in the bronchial epithelium of human foetuses and in the epithelium of the main bronchi of human adults. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand A. 1973 Jan;81(1):64–70. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1973.tb00477.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Hage E. Endocrine cells in the bronchial mucosa of human foetuses. Acta Pathol Microbiol Scand A. 1972;80(2):225–234. doi: 10.1111/j.1699-0463.1972.tb02169.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Hage E. Light and electron microscopic characteristics of the various lung endocrine cell types. Invest Cell Pathol. 1980 Oct-Dec;3(4):345–351. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Heath D., Smith P., Gosney J., Mulcahy D., Fox K., Yacoub M., Harris P. The pathology of the early and late stages of primary pulmonary hypertension. Br Heart J. 1987 Sep;58(3):204–213. doi: 10.1136/hrt.58.3.204. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Lauweryns J. M., Cokelaere J., Theunynck P. Serotonin producing neuroepithelial bodies in rabbit respiratory mucosa. Science. 1973 Apr 27;180(4084):410–413. doi: 10.1126/science.180.4084.410. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Lauweryns J. M., Liebens M. Microspectrography of formaldehyde and fluorescamine-induced fluorescence in rabbit pulmonary neuroepithelial bodies: demonstration of a new, probably polypeptide intracytoplasmic substance. Experientia. 1977 Nov 15;33(11):1510–1511. doi: 10.1007/BF01918840. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Lauweryns J. M., Peuskens J. C., Cokelaere M. Argyrophil, fluorescent and granulated (peptide and amine producing?) AFG cells in human infant bronchial epithelium. Light and electron microscopic studies. Life Sci I. 1970 Dec 15;9(24):1417–1429. doi: 10.1016/0024-3205(70)90136-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Lauweryns J. M., Peuskens J. C. Neuro-epithelial bodies (neuroreceptor or secretory organs?) in human infant bronchial and bronchiolar epithelium. Anat Rec. 1972 Mar;172(3):471–481. doi: 10.1002/ar.1091720301. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Lauweryns J. M., de Bock V., Verhofstad A. A., Steinbusch H. W. Immunohistochemical localization of serotonin in intrapulmonary neuro-epithelial bodies. Cell Tissue Res. 1982;226(1):215–223. doi: 10.1007/BF00217095. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Rosenfeld M. G., Mermod J. J., Amara S. G., Swanson L. W., Sawchenko P. E., Rivier J., Vale W. W., Evans R. M. Production of a novel neuropeptide encoded by the calcitonin gene via tissue-specific RNA processing. Nature. 1983 Jul 14;304(5922):129–135. doi: 10.1038/304129a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Said S. I., Mutt V. Relationship of spasmogenic and smooth muscle relaxant peptides from normal lung to other vasoactive compounds. Nature. 1977 Jan 6;265(5589):84–86. doi: 10.1038/265084a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Stevens R. E., Moore G. E. Inadequacy of APUD concept in explaining production of peptide hormones by tumours. Lancet. 1983 Jan 15;1(8316):118–119. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(83)91756-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Tateishi R. Distribution of argyrophil cells in adult human lungs. Arch Pathol. 1973 Sep;96(3):198–202. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Tsutsumi Y., Osamura R. Y., Watanabe K., Yanaihara N. Immunohistochemical studies on gastrin-releasing peptide- and adrenocorticotropic hormone-containing cells in the human lung. Lab Invest. 1983 May;48(5):623–632. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Wharton J., Polak J. M., Bloom S. R., Ghatei M. A., Solcia E., Brown M. R., Pearse A. G. Bombesin-like immunoreactivity in the lung. Nature. 1978 Jun 29;273(5665):769–770. doi: 10.1038/273769a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Wharton J., Polak J. M., Cole G. A., Marangos P. J., Pearse A. G. Neuron-specific enolase as an immunocytochemical marker for the diffuse neuroendocrine system in human fetal lung. J Histochem Cytochem. 1981 Dec;29(12):1359–1364. doi: 10.1177/29.12.7033363. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Thorax are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES