Immunocytochemical Study on the Enteroendocrine Cells in the Gastrointestinal Tract of Lateolabrax japonicus, Epinephelus septemfasciatus and Mugil cephalus

The gastrointestinal tract of three Percida, Lateolabrax japonicus, Epinephelus septemfasciatus and Mugil cephalus, was investigated immunocytochemically for the occurrence of somatostatin-. seotonin-, gastrin-, pancreatic polypeptide(PP)-, cholecystokinin-8(CCK-8)- and glucagon-immunoreactive cells. In Lateolabrax japonicus and Epinephelus septemfasciatus, five endorcrine cell types, such as somatostatin-, serotonin-, gastrin-, PP- and CCk-8-immunoreactive cells were demonstrated. In Mugil cephalus, however, six endocrine cell types, such as somatostatin-, serotnin-gastrin-, PP-, CCK-8- and glucagon-immunoreactive cells were detected. Somatostatin- and serotonin-immunoreactive cells were detected in the gastric mucosa of all species. Glucagon-immunoreactive cells were found only in the gastric mucoas of Mugil cephalus. In the pyloric caeca, PP-and CCK-8-immnuoreactive cells fo all species. gastrin-immunoreactive cells of Epinephelus septemfasciatus and Mugil cephalus, and serotonin-immunoreactive cells of Epinephelus septemfasciatus were demonstrated. In the intestinal mucosa of all species, gastrin-, PP- and CCK-8-immunoreactive cells were detected, and in the intestinal mucosa of Epinephelus septemfasciatus serotonin-immunoreactive cells were also detected. The frequency of these immunoreactive cells differs from each portion of the gastrointestinal tract of all species.