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Immunohistochemical localization of chromostatin and pancreastatin, chromogranin A-Derived bioactive peptides, in normal and neoplastic neuroendocrine tissues

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Abstract

Despite the widespread distribution of chromogranin A (CgA) in neuroendocrine tissues, the biological function of CgA has not yet been elucidated. The primary amino acid sequence of CgA, elucidated by cDNA analysis, has been revealed to include several pairs of basic amino acid residues that are homologous to the bioactive peptides, such as pancreastatin (PST) and chromostatin (CST). Using antibodies for human PST and CST, the immunohistochemical localization of these peptides was investigated in neuroendocrine tissues, including human pituitary glands, pancreas, adrenal medulla, various types of neuroendocrine neoplasms (13 pheochromocytomas, 10 medullary thyroid carcinomas, 11 pancreatic endocrine tumors, and 19 carcinoid tumors), and the cell line QGP-1N derived from human somatostatin-producing pancreatic endocrine tumor.

Variable immunoreactive intensities of PST and CST were seen, but both peptides were detectable in all neuroendocrine tissues and in most of the neoplasms. Immunoreactivity for both PST and CST was observed in 100 and 73%, respectively, of pancreatic endocrine tumors, all pheochromocytomas, and 80 and 40%, respectively, of medullary thyroid carcinomas, as well as all nonrectal carcinoid tumors. In rectal carcinoids, cells immunoreactive for PST and CST were sparse. The distribution of PST and CST was similar to that of CgA, and it is considered that these peptides are simultaneously processed from CgA, and may play roles in autocrine and paracrine regulation on various hormones in addition to their previously known functions.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pathology, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Japan

    Noriko Kimura & Hiroshi Nagura

  2. Department of Second Intenal Medicine, Tohoku University School of Medicine, Japan

    Wakako Miura

  3. Department of Gastroenterology, National Kyushu Cancer Center, Japan

    Akihiro Funakoshi

  4. Groupe de Neurobiologie Structurale et Fonctionelle, Unite INSERM U-44, Centre de Neurochimie du CNRS, France

    Dominique Aunis

  5. Department of Biochemistry, Fukuoka University School of Medicine, Japan

    Kayoko Tateishi

Authors
  1. Noriko Kimura
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  2. Akihiro Funakoshi
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  3. Dominique Aunis
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  4. Kayoko Tateishi
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  5. Wakako Miura
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  6. Hiroshi Nagura
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Kimura, N., Funakoshi, A., Aunis, D. et al. Immunohistochemical localization of chromostatin and pancreastatin, chromogranin A-Derived bioactive peptides, in normal and neoplastic neuroendocrine tissues. Endocr Pathol 6, 35–43 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02914987

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