Identity of the Basally Located Parietal and Enterochromaffin-like Cells of the Rat Gastric Mucosa

Abstract

When the argentaffin reaction for the glutaraldehyde- and osmium tetroxidefixed, epoxy-embedded sections was applied, two types of parietal cells were found in the glandular part of the rat gastric mucosa. The basally located ones were strongly argentaffin, whereas the superfical ones exhibited no such reaction. The argentaffin parietal cells at the bottom of the gastric glands showed a size, shape, intraglandular and intramucosal distribution similar to those of the cells taking up and storing exogenous 1-DOPA. It was concluded that the ‘enterochromaffin-like’ cells of the rat gastric mucosa are basally located parietal cells and that these parietal cells take up exogenously administered precursors of catecholamines and apparently store histamine.

Key-words:

• Chromaffin system
• gastric mucosa
• parietal cells
• rat