Ontogeny, distributions and relative frequencies of somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were investigated in the proventriculus of the chicken embryos with incubation periods. Samples were taken from 10 groups(10 days of incubation to hatching) and studied by immunogistochemical methods. The findings were as follows. Somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were observed from 12 days of incubation in the proventricular glands and after that increased with incubation periods. The first observation time of these cells in the epithelium were at 15 days of incubation in the basal portion but in 16 and 17 days of incubation, no immunoreactive cells were observed in the epithelium but after that a few immunoreactive cells were observed in the basal portion and gastric gland regions. The shpaes of these cells were spherical to spindle in the proventricular glands and spherical to round in the epithlium and gastric gland.

In order to study the effects of Jengjengamiyjintang on the duodenal ulcer induced by HCI-aspirin in rats, the changes of histological profiles, goblet cells(PAS-positive cells), and the distribution and frequency of cholecystokinin(CCK)-8 and serotonin-producing gastro-entero-endocrine cells were observed after oral administration of Jengjengamiyjintang. Histologically, very severe injury to duodenal epithelium were observed in control groups and theses injuries were increased with time intervals. But in the Jengjengamiyjintang administrated groups, no gross lesion of ulcer were demonstrated and histologically minor injury to the mucosal epithelium were observed. PAS-positive cells were increased in the Jengjengamiyjintang administrated groups compared to that of control groups. Severe degranulation of CCK-8- and serotonin-immunoreactive cells were observed in control groups but these phenomenon was seldom in the Jengjengamiyjintang administrated groups. Serotonin-immunoreactive cells were significantly decreased in control groups but increased in Jengjengamiyjintang administrated groups compared with control groups. According to these result, it is suggested that Jengjengamiyjintang would accelarat the healing of the duodenal ulcer but the functional mechanisms were unknown.

The regional distributions and relative frequencies of the gastrin, secretin and pancreatic polypeptide(PP)-immunoreactive cells in the gastrointestinal tract of the fetus(180 days of gestation) of Korean native goat were sutdied with immunohistochemical(ABC) methods. Gastrin-immunoreactive cells were detected in fundus, pylorus and duodenum and these cells were most predominant in pylorus. Secretin-immunoreactive cells were observed in pylorus, duodenum and ileum. PP-immunoreactive cells were restricted to fundus. These immunoreactive cells were situated in surfact epithelium and mucosal gland regions. The regional distribution and relative frequency of PP-immunoreactive cells was somewhat different to the adult Korean native goat. Immunoreactive cells in thesurface epithelial regions were open typed cells which were spindle shaped cells but closed typed cells which were round or/to spherical shaped cells were observed in the mucosal gland regions.

The purposes of this study were to set up the method of the natural killer(NK) cell activity assay using the flow cytometer and to examine the characteristics and distribution of the NK cell during rat hepatocarcinogenesis. Forty five male 6 week-old specific pathogen free(SPF) Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups. Group I was the non-treated control and given normal diet and water. Group II was treated with diethylnitrosamine(DEN, 200mg/kg, i.p.) and partial hepatectomy. Group III was treated with DEN, partial hepatectomy and 0.05% phenobarbital sodium in water from 3 to 16 weeks. All animals were examined the morphology of the large granular lymphocyte(LGL), the LGL percent of the total lymphocytes and the LGL conjugation rate with YAC-1 cell in peripheral blood, spleen and liver. Moreover, activity of the LGL isolated from peripheral blood lymphocytes was determined using the flow cytometer. As results, LGL were observed in the peripheral blood, spleen and liver. LGL were observed the relatively faintly staining basophilic cytoplasm with granules, and eccentric, often kidney-shpaed nuclei in Giemsa stain. Its size was 11~13 micro meter. LGL percentage of the isolated lymphocytes in peripheral blood, spleen and liver were 1.8~2.3%, 1.3~1.4% and 0.87~0.99%, respectively. LGL conjugation rate with YAC-1 cell was shown to be peripheral blood(9.3~10.3%) spleen(7.7%~8.7%)liver(5.6~7.0%). The activity of the LGL isolated from peripheral blood lymphocytes in Group I, II and III was 33.7%, 30.5% and 35.4%, respectively. However, all values were not sighificantly between groups.

The regional distributions and relative frequencies of the gastrointestinal endocrine cells inthe gean goose (Anser fabalisLatham) were investigated by immunohistochemical methods using bovineSp-1/chromogranin (CG), serotonin, gastrin, cholecystokinin (CCK)-8, somatostatin and glucagon antisera. BCG-immunoreactive cells were widespread throughout the gastrointestinal tract (GIT) with moderated frequencies except for the gizzard and proventriculus which were a few frequencies. Serotonin-immunoreactive cells were detected throughout the GIT except for the proventriculus and gizzard. These cells wer observed inthe pylorus with rare frequencies but numerous cells wee cetected in the intestinal tract. Gastrin-immunoreactive cells were restricted to the gizzard, pylorus and duodenum. These cells were most predominant in the pylorus and a few or rare in the gizzard and duodenum, respectively. CCK-8-immunoreactive cells were observed from the gizzard to ileum. the highest frequencies of endocrine cells were observed in the duodenum. These cells were increased from the gizzard to duodenum but thereafter decreased. Somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were detected in the GIT except for the large intestine. In the proventriculus and pylorus, numerous immunoreactive cells were demonstrated but a few cells were present in the other regions. Glucagon cells were observed in the gizzard, pylorus, ileum, colon and rectum with a few or moderated numbers.

Substance P (SP) is colocalized with ACh in splanchnic nerves that innervate into adrenal medulla and the peptide has been shown to inhibit nicotinic agonists-induced catecholamine secretion. To elucidate the effects of SP on cytosolic Ca(2+) dynamics, the present study was conducted using fura-2-loaded isolated bovine adrenal chromaffin cells. Stimulation of the cells with nicotine (10-100mu-M) produced a rapid rise of cytosolic Ca(2+) concentration ([Ca(2+)]i), the peak level of which increased in a dose-dependent manner, followed by a gradual decay. In the presence of 10mu-M SP, the dose-response relationship of the peak levels shifted downward. Quantitative analyses implied that SP inhibits the nicotine-induced Ca(2+) influx in a noncompetitive manner. Nicotinic acetylcholine receptor is composed of two major functional domains: an agonist-binding site and an ionophore or channel domain. Agonist binding activates ionophore / channel domain and causes mainly Na(+) influx. This Na(+) influx depolarizes the cell and activates voltage-dependent Ca(2+) channels. Based on this fact, the present results indicate that SP dose not block nicotine binding sites but interferes with other sites of nicotinic receptor / channel molecule, most probably a channel domain. It was suggested that SP colocalized with ACh in splanchnic nerves functions as a physiological modulator of catecholamine secretion by non-competitively suppressing ACh-induced cytosolic Ca(2+) dynamics in bovine a