Transdifferentiation of mucous neck cells into chief cells in fundic gastric glands shown by GNA lectin histochemistry.

•There is a GNA labeling increase in rat gastric glands, mucous neck cells (MNCs) are negative, pre-zimogenic cells (pre-ZCs) are weakly labeled, and chief cells (ZCs) are moderately labeled.•The results suggest that oligosaccharides with Mannose (Man) are not expressed in MNCs, start to express in pre-ZCs and are more abundant in ZCs.•The expression of Man indicates that differentiation from MNCs to ZCs is a process in which glycans with Man moieties are synthesized.