SPATIAL AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF 7B2 IN THE PULMONARY DIFFUSE NEUROENDOCRINE SYSTEM OF THE CAT

The postnatal developmental profile of the presence of 7B2 was studied immunocytochemically in the pulmonary diffuse neuroendocrine system o f the cat. Labelling was found in neuroepithelial bodies (NEB) but not in solitary neuroendocrine cells. The identity of NEB was confirmed o n adjacent serial sections by the immunostaining for protein gene prod uct 9.5, a pan-neuroendocrine marker. The first 3 weeks after birth 7B 2 stained NEB were most abundant with a subsequent decline thereafter. The positive correlation between the variation of 7B2 immunoreactivit y and number of NEB suggests an important role for 7B2 in NEB.