The development and cytodifferentiation of endocrine cells that produce the gastrointestinal hormones gastrin, cholecystokinin and secretin have been studied by a combined fluorescence-cytochemical, immunocytochemical and ultrastructural approach. The results show that, during development, several ultrastructurally distinct cell types exhibit COOH-terminal gastrin and cholecystokinin immunoreactivity. Furthermore, some cells simultaneously contain both gastrin- and cholecystokinin-specific antigenic determinants. Studies on the time course of development of gastrin and cholecystokinin cells, together with the above-mentioned data, suggest that gastrin cells may be converted into cholecystokinin cells in development. During this period, gastrin, cholecystokinin and secretin cells store the biogenic monoamine, 5-hydroxytryptamine a feature not displayed by the adult counter-parts of these cells. In the adult duodenum, characteristic enterochromaffin (EC) cells store 5-hydroxytryptamin for which, evidence for a possible hormonal role has been presented. Taken together, our data indicate that the differentiation of duodenal endocrine cells occurs in distinct steps, each involving a restriction in the biosynthetic repertoire of the cell. © 1978 Springer-Verlag.
