Abstract
To establish which monoamines are elaborated in the pancreatic islet cells of cats, the pancreatic tissue was studied by immunohistochemistry on serial or mirror tissue sections. Glucagon-containing A-cells reacted immunohistochemically with antisera directed against serotonin and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase, though the half of A-cells immunostained with glucagon antiserum did not show the colocalization with serotonin. Pancreatic polypeptide-containing PP-cells also showed immunoreactivity for antisera directed against serotonin and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase. However, PP-cells exhibiting immunoreactivity for serotonin were very few in number. The overlapping areas of the two types of cell represented only a small proportion of the PP-cells. Immunoreactivity for aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase was observed within almost all A- and PP-cells. Since aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase is an enzyme involved in the synthesis of serotonin, it is concluded that pancreatic islet A- and PP-cells in cats have the ability to elaborate serotonin. Contrarily, islet B- and D-cells showing immunoreactivity for insulin and somatostatin antisera, respectively, did not react with antisera directed against serotonin and aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase.
