Nestin expression in rat adrenal gland.

The constituents of the intermediate filament network of adrenal gland cells have not been deeply investigated in vivo. Adrenocortical cells have been reported to express cytokeratins and vimentin, but the intermediate filament components of the adrenomedullary cells are still unknown. Nestin is an intermediate filament protein that is mainly expressed in the developing nervous and muscle systems. It has been reported to be unable to form filaments by itself and it co-assembles with vimentin. Using immunocytochemical and biochemical approaches, the present study demonstrates that nestin is expressed in situ either in the cortex or in the medulla of adult rat adrenal glands. Nestin-negative cells prevalently form the zona glomerulosa whereas the zona fasciculata and the zona reticularis are mainly nestin-immunoreactive. Nestin-positive cells always express vimentin-like immunoreactivity but several cells apparently expressing only vimentin are detectable too. Nestin is also expressed by adrenomedullary cells that also display a faint vimentin-like immunoreactivity. We hypothesise that the inconstant detection of nestin in adrenocortical cells depends on their different functional moments. Moreover, even though our data do not allow to confirm vimentin in adrenomedullary cells, in situ detection of nestin in the adrenal medulla indirectly supports in vivo expression of vimentin in chromaffin cells.

PI, GC, HP, and TF serum protein polymorphisms in Siena, Tuscany, Italy, with a review of data for Italy.

The genetic polymorphism of four serum proteins (PI, GC, HP, and TF) is analyzed in a sample of 200 unrelated individuals from the province of Siena, Tuscany, central Italy. Siena is traditionally divided into 17 Contrade, that act as social units. The aim of this report is to ascertain whether this peculiar organization has led to genetic differentiation among the inhabitants of each Contrada and from other populations of Italy. For this purpose, the frequencies of genetic markers found in Siena are also compared with those reported for the same serum proteins in Italy based on provincial samples from the literature. The statistical analyses (heterozygosity estimates, F-statistics, and cluster analysis) suggest that the Contrade represent only a cultural and historical institution without biological consequence and that the Italian population can be considered genetically homogeneous. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 9:629-646, 1997. © 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.