Indian J. Fish., 52(4) : 477-481, Oct.-Dec.

, 2005 477

Note

Paraneuronic cells of pseudobranchial

neurosecretory system in catfish

A. GOPESH AND L. YADAV

Department of Zoology, University of Allahabad, Allahabad 211 002.
Uttar Pradesh, India.

ABSTRACT
The pseudobranchial neurosecretory system is a paracrine system reported in
four species of catfish viz. Mystus seenghala, M. aor, M. vittatus and M.
cavassius. It is located in the gill region close to the carotid labyrinth. The cells
belonging to this system share features with paraneurons and are hypoth-
esized to play role in stress physiology of fishes, especially hypoxia. Present
study shows the presence of these cells in the four species of Mystus using
specific stains for neurosecretion, viz. acid-violet stain and their probable role
in the biology of fishes.

The pseudobranchial neurosecretory occur in groups and their cell processes

system is the third system of
neurosecretion in fishes, apart from the
well known hypothalamo-hypophysial
system and the caudal neurosecretory
system. It has been found in few groups
of teleosts, including catfishes
(Srivastava, et al., 1981; Gopesh and
Srivastava, 1997) and lower and
advanced teleosts such as
Osteoglossomorpha, Atheriniformes and
Perciformes. All the species in which this
has been located are either air-breathing
fishes or are the fishes that can tolerate
low oxygen tension in the surrounding
water. This fact indicates the probable
evolution of this system along with the
air-breathing habit of teleost fishes
(Srivastava et al., 1981 and Gopesh,
1983).
Investigations have revealed that
the pseudobranchial neurosecretory cells
occur in the gill region, close to the
carotid labyrinth in catfishes and
pseudobranch in non-catfish species
studied so far (Gopesh, 1983). The cells
run together in bundles. Their cell
processes are short and terminate in
blood capillaries and do not form any
definite neurohaemal organ (Gopesh,
1983; Gopesh and Srivastava, 1997).
A preliminary investigation showed
that this system possess the
morphological characters of a
neurosecretory system viz., the
perikaryon and the cell process endings
in close proximity of the blood vascular
system (Srivastava et al., 1981).
Secretory activity, transport of
neurosecretory material and close
proximity with the capillaries of the first
two efferent branchial vessels, merit this
system to be a full-fledged system of
neurosecretion in fishes. In the present
investigation the above neurosecretory
system have been reported and
compared in different species of Mystus
viz., M. seenghala, M. aor, M. vittatus
and M. cavassius and their probable role
discussed.
A. Gopesh and L. Yadav
Live Mystus seenghala, M. aor, M.
vittatus and M. cavassius, were procured
from the local fishing sites. They were
acclimatised and maintained in
laboratory condition. Fishes were
anaesthetized with MS222 and dissected
to expose the palate, making the gill
region visible. The tissue close to the first
two efferent blood vessel and carotid
labyrinth (Fig. 1) was taken out and fixed
immediately in freshly prepared Bouin’s
solution. The tissue was processed for
routine paraffin microtomy. The paraffin
sections were cut at 10µm and stained
by acid violet technique (Takasugi and
Bern, 1962), a specific stain for
neurosecretory cells for vertebrates in
eca → → oa
ica
→ cl
1ea
→ →
2 ea
nsm
3ea
lda
4ea
cda
Fig.1. Schematic drawing illustrating the
position of pseudobranchial neurose-
cretory cell mass (nsm) with respect
to first and second efferent branchial
artery.
478
general and fishes in particular.
The pseudobranchial neurosecretory
cells were found in all the four species.
The cells are located in the gill region as
diffused mass which is hyaline to fine
granular in texture varying slightly in
size in all the four species. These lobes
are situated between the fascicles of the
muscle where the first and second
branchial vessel join the lateral dorsal
aorta on either side close to carotid
labyrinth (Fig.1).
In M.seenghala (Fig.2a), M.
cavassius (Fig.2b), M. vittatus (Fig. 2c)
and M. aor (Fig.2d), there are more than
one lobe forming the neurosecretory
mass. The cell size in M. seenghala
ranges from 4 to 36µm , in M. aor, it is 4
to 32µm , while in M. cavassius and M.
vittatus it ranges between 4 to 28µm. Τhe
morphological structure of
pseudobranchial neurosecretory cells is
almost similar in all the four species.
These cells appear large and round in
shape and possess a prominent nucleus
with distinct single nucleolus (Fig.2a-d).
Sufficient cytoplasm surrounds the
nucleus. The cytoplasm is filled with
large quantity of intracellular material,
which is a product of secretory activity
of neurons and the density vary from cell
to cell (Fig.2a, b). The pseudobranchial
neurosecretory cells are abundant with
varying sizes, indicating their presence
in various stages of secretion and
development. Axon processes of
neurosecretory cells continue to form
thick axon bundles which run a long,
tortuous course and lie packed like
bundles of rope (Fig.2d). Size of the cells
is maximum in M.seenghala in
comparison to other three species. This
might be a reason of M.seenghala been
the major species of the genus as it could
cope up with the adverse environmental
conditions efficiently in comparison to
Paraneuronic cells of pseudobranchial neurosecretory system 479

Fig.2 Photomicrograph showing Pseudobranchial cells in four species of Mystus using acid-
violet stain. a). Mystus seenghala; b). M. cavassius; c). M. vittatus and d). M. aor.
400X.
other three (M. aor, M. vittatus and M. secretions appear to include bioactive
cavassius), which are minor species of amines, peptides and other types of
the genus and economically less neurotransmitters that are common to
important. neuronal secretions.
The neurosecretory cells belonging Presence of paraneuronic cells in
to this system exhibit paraneuronic different organs in vertebrate body is a
character, as they seem to be endocrine pioneering field after establishment of
as well as sensory in nature. They share the concept of “paraneuron” (Fujita et
morphological feature with neurons al., 1988). Paraneuronic cells have been
(Fujita et al., 1988). Paraneurons are reported in respiratory regions of all the
receptosecretory cells possessing a groups of vertebrates from fish to human
receptive and a secretory site on their (Lauweryns et al., 1972). Among fishes,
plasma membrane (Fujita, 1994). The such cells are present in the gill
A. Gopesh and L. Yadav
epithelium (Zaccone et al., 1994, 1995
and 1997) and have been accepted to be
having a sensory function, as
neuromodulators or neurotransmitters.
The present investigation carried in four
species of catfish revealed the presence
of a paraneuronic neurosecretory
system. These pseudobranchial
neurosecretory cells share similarity
with neuroendocrine (NE) system of
neurosecretion of several vertebrate
species. The NE system of gills and the
airways are established features now
(Zaccone et al., 1994, 1995 and 1997).
This diffuse mass of cells seems to be in
close association to the gill NE cells
(Dunel-Erb et al., 1994).
Although nothing is known about
the function of pseudobranchial
neurosecretory system, it is presumed
that these paraneuronal cells are
associated with the production of
bioactive substances which are stored in
the cytoplasmic granules. These
bioactive substances may have a role
under stress of hypoxia (Machella et al.,
2004). Bioactive substances produced by
neuroendocrine cells play a significant
role under various kinds of stresses
(Pickering and Stewart, 1984) in
different vertebrates. These cells play a
paracrine role during hypoxia in Clarias
batrachus and Heteropneustes fossilis
(Gopesh, 1983; 1996). It has been
observed that the neurosecretory
material is secreted and the
pseudobranchial cells appear exhausted
under experimentally provoked hypoxia.
Although these fishes are not air
breathing, at times get exposed to
condition of low oxygen tension in
surrounding waters. These paraneuronic
cells like other similar type of cells, have
a “biphasic” nature and may be having
a definite senso-endocrine role in the
biology of these fishes. Further indepth,
investigations are necessary to reveal
480
the significance of this system to the
biology of these fishes and to throw light
on the evolution of this system among
teleosts in general and catfishes in
particular.
Acknowledgement
The second author is thankful to Council
of Scientific and Industrial Research
(CSIR), New Delhi, for the award of
Senior Research Fellowship during the
period of the study.
References
Dunel-Erb, S., C. Claudine and P. Laurent
1994. Distribution of neuroepithilial
cells and neurons in the trout gill
filament: comparison in spring and
winter. Canad. J. Zool., 72: 1794-1799.
Fujita, T., T.R. Kanno and S. Kobayashi
1988. The Paraneuron. Springer, Berlin
Heidelberg, New York, p. 190-198.
Fujita, T. 1994. Gustatory cells as
paraneurons. In: Olfaction and Taste XI.
N. Kuri Hara, Suzuki and H. Ogawa
(Eds.) Springer- Verlay, Tokoyo, P. 2-4.
Gopesh, A. 1983. Studies on peculiar
pseudobranchial neurosecretory cells in
certain teleostean fishes. D. Phil. Thesis,
University of Allahabad, Allahabad.
Gopesh, A. 1996. Effect of hypoxia on the
pseudobranchial neurosecretory cells in
four air breathing fishes. Nat. Acad. Sci.
(India). Annual Session: 39.
Gopesh, A. and C.B.L Srivastava 1997.
Paraneuronic nature of pseudobranchial
neurosecretory cells. J. Freshwat. Biol.,
9: 78-82.
Lauweryns, J. M. and M. Cokelaere 1972.
Neuroepithilial bodies in the respiratory
mucosa of various mammals. Z.
Zellforsch. Mikrosk. Anat., 135: 569-592.
Machella, N., A. Cambria and R.M. Santella
2004. Application of an immun-
operoxidase staining method for
detection of 7, 8- dihydro - 8-oxodeoxyg-
uanosine as a biomarker of chemical-
Paraneuronic cells of pseudobranchial neurosecretory system
induced oxidative stress in marine
organism. Aquat. Toxicol., 67(1): 23-32.
Pickering. A.D. and A. Stewart 1984.
Acclimatization of the interrenal tissue
of the brown trout, Salmo trutta L., to
chronic crowding stress. J. Fish Biol.,
24:731-740.
Srivastava, C.B.L, A. Gopesh and M. Singh
1981. A new neurosecretory system in
fish, located in the gill region.
Experientia, 37: 850.
Takasugi, N. and H.A. Bern 1962.
Experimental studies of the caudal
neurosecretory system of Tilapia
mossambica. Comp. Biochem. Physiol,.
6: 289-303.
Date of Receipt : 07-06-2004
Date of Acceptance : 28-01-2005
481
Zaccone, G., S.Fasulo, and L. Ainis 1994.
Distribution patterns of the
paraneuronal endocrine cells in the
skin, gill and the airways of the fishes
as determined by immunohistochemical
and histological methods. J. Histochem.,
26: 609-629.
Zaccone, G., S. Fasulo and L. Ainis 1995.
Neuroendocrine epithelial cells system
in respiratory organs of airbreathing
and teleost fishes. Int. Rev. Cytol., 157:
277- 314.
Zaccone, G., S. Fasulo, L. Ainis and A. Licata
1997 Paraneurons in the gills and
airways of fishes. Micros. Res. Tech., 37:
4-12.