APUD cell

{{Short description|Type of endocrine cells}}

image:Digestive hormones.jpg secreted by APUD cells]]

APUD cells (DNES cells) constitute a group of apparently unrelated endocrine cells, which were named by the scientist A.G.E. Pearse, who developed the APUD concept in the 1960s based on calcitonin-secreting parafollicular C cells of dog thyroid.{{Cite journal |last=Boyd |first=C. A. R. |date=March 2001 |title=Amine uptake and peptide hormone secretion: APUD cells in a new landscape |journal=The Journal of Physiology |language=en |volume=531 |issue=3 |pages=581 |doi=10.1111/j.1469-7793.2001.0581h.x |issn=0022-3751 |pmc=2278499 |pmid=11251039}} These cells share the common function of secreting a low molecular weight polypeptide hormone. There are several different types which secrete the hormones secretin, cholecystokinin and several others. The name is derived from an acronym, referring to the following:{{cite journal |author=Welbourn RB |title=Current status of the apudomas |journal=Ann. Surg. |volume=185 |issue=1 |pages=1–12 |date=January 1977 |pmid=12724 |pmc=1396259 |doi=10.1097/00000658-197701000-00001}}{{cite journal | author = Pearse, A.G.|title = The cytochemistry and ultrastructure of polypeptide hormone-producing cells of the APUD series and the embryologic, physiologic and pathologic implications of the concept | journal = J. Histochem. Cytochem. | volume = 17 | issue = 5 | year = 1969 | pages = 303–13 | pmid = 4143745 | doi=10.1177/17.5.303|s2cid = 8240028 | doi-access = }}

• Amine Precursor Uptake – for high uptake of amine precursors including 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) and dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA).
• Decarboxylase – for high content of the enzyme amino acid decarboxylase (for conversion of precursors to amines).