ONTOGENY OF SULFATED GLYCOCONJUGATE-PRODUCING CELLS IN THE RAT FUNDICGLAND

The ontogeny of sulphated glycoconjugate-producing cells in the rat fu ndic gland has been studied using high iron diamine (HID), Alcian Blue (AB) at pH 1.0, high iron diamine in combination with Alcian Blue at pH 2.5 (HID-AB), cationic colloidal gold (CCG) at pH 1.0 under light m icroscopy and CCG (1.0), HID-thiocarbohydrazide (TCH)-silver proteinat e (SP)-physical development (PD) under electron microscopy. From day 1 9.5 of gestation, sulphated glycoconjugate-producing cells were discer nible under both light and electron microscopy. The development of suc h cells can be classified into four stages: (1) a prenatal period from day 19.5 of gestation extending to 0.5 days after birth; (2) 1 day to 2 weeks after birth; (3) 2 to 4 weeks after birth; and (4) the final period from 4 to 8 weeks after birth, Glycoconjugate-producing cells r eached maturity by 4 weeks after birth. Our results indicated that gly coconjugate-producing cells were cells along the wall of foveolar lume n, but not those covering the gastric mucosa surface. Our results also suggested that the trans to transmost Golgi apparatus lamellae were t he sites of sulphation in the developing rat stomach.