Light and Electron Microscope Immunolocalization of Alpha-fetoprotein in Rat Liver Cells in vivo and in vitro |
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| Authors: | A. GUILLOUZO,L. BÉ LANGER,C. BEAUMONT,R. BRIGGS,J. F. CHIU,B. FLEISCHER,S. FLEISCHER,J. P. VALET |
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| Affiliation: | Unite de Recherche de Physiopathologie Hépatique (INSERM), Hôpital Beaujon, Clichy, France;Unite de Recherches Hépatologiques (INSERM), Hôpital Pontchaillou, Rennes, France;Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA;Department of Molecular Biology, College of Arts and Sciences, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, Tennessee, USA;Department of Hematology, University Hospital, Laval University, Quebec, Canada |
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| Abstract: | In neonatal rat liver, AFP is localized only in typical hepatocytes. Their lobular distribution changes throughout the neonatal period. Some AFP+ cells also contain albumin. Less than 5% of AFP+ cells incorporate 3H-thymidine (2-hour pulse). Injections of dexamethasone suppress AFP positivity but not albumin positivity nor 3H-thymidine incorporation. AFP is also localized in typical hepatocytes in newborn rat isolated liver cells or liver explants in culture. During the early phase of AFP induction in rats, by mDAB feeding, AFP is detected in cells smaller than the normal hepatocytes and preferentially situated in periportal areas of the liver.
Electron microscope immunoperoxidase localizations in newborn rat liver show that AFP is present on bound ribosomes, in the lumina of rough and smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and in the Golgi apparatus. Direct AFP measurement on isolated organelles confirmed this distribution. It indicates a synthesis and secretion pattern similar to that of albumin. |
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