Talk:Apudoma

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[edit] Obsolete?

I appreciate that Arcadian has provided multiple secondary sources to bolster this article. I mean no disrespect to the league of conscientious editors in proposing deletion of this article. I just wonder whether 'APUD' is useful in 2007. Hasn't the APUD theory been superseded? It seems to me that the concept of 'Diffuse Neuroendocrine System' has been generally accepted. Citations in support of each side can be readily found, e.g.

  • "The former term APUD [amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation] system is obsolete."

http://www.emedicine.com/ped/topic1496.htm

  • "It was originally thought that the tumor cells producing excessive amounts of polypeptide hormones were derived exclusively from APUD cells in the tissue of origin (eg, ACTH-producing cells of the lung). Newer insights into tumor cell biology have led to a better understanding of the pathogenesis and etiology of the ectopic hormone production states. Studies have shown that not all APUD cells are derived from the neural crest. Some of these cells are of endodermal origin. Furthermore, with careful examination of tumors, it has become clear that peptide hormones are often produced by non-APUD cells."

Gardner and Shoback, Greenspan's Basic and Clinical Endocrinology, 8th Edition, Chapter 22.

  • "Studies initially performed in the digestive system revealed the presence of endocrine cells interspersed among nonendocrine cells. The cytoplasm of the endocrine cells contains either polypeptide hormones or the biogenic amines epinephrine, norepinephrine, or 5-hydroxytryptamine (serotonin). In some cases, more than one of these compounds is present in the same cell. Many, but not all, of these cells are able to take up amine precursors and exhibit amino acid decarboxylase activity. These characteristics explain the acronym APUD (amine precursor uptake and decarboxylation) by which they are known. Because some of these cells stain with silver salts, they are also called argentaffin and argyrophil cells. As some of these endocrine cells do not concentrate amine precursors, the designation APUD has largely been replaced by DNES (diffuse neuroendocrine system)."

Junqueira and Carneiro, Basic Histology: Text and Atlas, 11th Edition, Chapter 4

Hovea 14:44, 22 September 2007 (UTC)

Hovea,
Your points are well taken and I agree that the term has only limited usefulness today. Above said, none of the above are good reasons for deletion. Apudoma has historical value, like the four element theory and ether --see superseded scientific theory. Your points strengthen the case for inclusion and ought to be added to the article; the fact that texts of today still discuss APUD means it is notable (see WP:NOTABLE). Nephron  T|C 17:44, 23 September 2007 (UTC)