ACTA FAC MED NAISS 2010; 27 (1): 19-25

Original article

UDC: 618.29:611.43

 

Dynamics Of Differentiation Of Chromogranin A-Immunoreactive Endocrine Cells And Myenteric Plexus Of The Human Fetal Duodenum In The Third And The Fifth Month Of Development

 

Ivan Nikolić1, Vera Todorović2, Vladimir Petrović1, Aleksandar Petrović1, Dejan Mitić3

1Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine in Niš, Serbia

2School of Dentistry, Pančevo, University "Academy of Economy", Novi Sad, Serbia

3Clinic for Gynecology and Obstetrics, Clinical Center Niš, Serbia
 


SUMMARY

The aim of the paper was to examine the neuroendocrine differentiation of endocrine cells and neurons of myenteric plexus of fetal duodenum. The material consisted of duodenums of 14 fetuses of different gender, in the third and fifth month of gestational age. Fetal duodenal tissue was fixed in the Bouin solution, routinely processed and embedded in paraffin blocks, from which were made the sections stained with HE and PAP immunostaining method for identification of chromogranin A (Cg A), marker of neuroendocrine differentiation. The number of endocrine cells was quantified by determining the numerical areal density, while the morphological development of myenteric plexus was determined by measuring its area. There is a large number of Cg A-immunoreactive endocrine cells in the mucosis of duodenum in the third and fifth month of development. These cells show a high degree of polymorphism in shape, size and immunoreactivity. No significant difference was observed in the number of cells in the epithelium of duodenum in the third and the fifth month of development. At the same time, myenteric plexus was significantly more developed in the duodenum in the fifth month of fetal development compared to the third month. The results indicate that the differentiation of Cg A-immunoreactive cells occurs earlier in the epithelium of the duodenum than in neurons of myenteric plexus. 

Key words: fetus, duodenum, chromogranin A, endocrine cells, myenteric