COMPARATIVE IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL STUDY OF THE MAMMALIAN PITUITARY CELLS STAINED WITH ANTISERA AGAINST S-100 PROTEIN AND NON-NEURONAL ENOLASE

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The distribution and morphology of the cells containing S-100 protein and/or nonneuronal enolase (NNE) were investigated in rat, mouse, hamster, guinea pig, rabbit, chinchilla, pika, mole, suncus, pig, cow, goat, dog, cat, monkey and human pituitary glands using the peroxidase-antiperoxidase and the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex methods. The immunoreactivity for S-100 protein was detected in the glands of the rat, cat, cow, pig, goat, moneky and human, and recognized in folliculo-stellate cells in the rat, monkey and human pituitary glands. On the other hand, this immunoreactivity was not detected in any anterior pituitary cells including the folliculo-stellate cells in the mouse, guinea pig, hamster, rabbit, pika, chinchilla, suncus, mole and dog. The antiserum against NNE stained some types of pituitary cells in the rat, mouse, guinea pig, pika, cat, goat and monkey, but not in other animals examined. The cells immunostained for S-100 protein were distinct from the cells immunostained for NNE in the cat, goat and monkey. immunoreactivities for S-100 protein and NNE were detected in the same folliculo-stellate cells only in rats. It was concluded that S-100 protein and NNE were not always specific markers of a particular kind ofpituitary cells in mammals, with the exception of the rat whose folliculo-stellate cells contained both proteins.