NEURAL CONTROL OF AIRWAY GOBLET CELL SECRETION IN THE GUINEA PIG TRACHEA:A STUDY USING A NEW MORPHOMETRIC TECHNIQUE

概要

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In order to evaluate neural control of airway goblet cell secretion in guinea pigs in vivo, we have developed a new morphometric method in which mucus score (MS) was employed as a parameter of discharge. Tissue slides of trachea and main bronchi from guinea pigs with or without vagal nerve stimulation were stained with alcian blue pH 2.5/periodic acid Schiff. At a magnification of × 400, epithelial cells which were positive for the staining were divided into two grades according to the size of the positive area in the cell. MS was then calculated by adding the number of these cells using following formula : 1 × (total number of small sized-cells) + 2 × (total number of large sized-cells). Intra-observer error or intra-animal variability in MS was very small, indicating that MS was highly reproducible. Further, the total in MS at main bronchi was significantly correlated with that at trachea. MS was inversely well correlated with secretory ratio, a parameter for goblet cell secretion independent on the total number of positive cells. MS in animals with nerve stimulation was significantly low compared with those with sham stimulation, indicating the presence of neural control on goblet cell secretion in guinea pig airways. MS seemed to be a simple and reproducible parameter to evaluate goblet cell secretion.
北関東医学会の論文