Co-occurrence of immunoreactive calcitonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide in neuroendocrine cells of rat lungs |
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Authors: | Tooru Shimosegawa Sami I Said |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine, 1940 West Taylor Street, 60612 Chicago, IL, USA;(2) Veterans Affairs West Side Medical Center, 1940 West Taylor Street, 60612 Chicago, IL, USA |
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Abstract: | Summary Neuroendocrine cells of the lung, occurring singly or in clusters known as neuroepithelial bodies, contain a variety of biologically active compounds, including several neuropeptides. We have investigated the localization of calcitonin and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) within single and grouped neuroendocrine cells in the respiratory epithelium of rats by an immunohistochemical double-staining technique which uses specific antisera raised in heterogeneous animal species. Calcitonin- and CGRP-immunoreactivities were nearly totally co-localized in both single neuroendocrine cells and neuroepithelial bodies. CGRP-immunoreactivity was also present in neurons in the jugular, nodose and dorsal root ganglia. The calcitonin-immunoreactivity in neuroendocrine cells, as in thyroid parafollicular (C) cells, was abolished by preincubation of the anticalcitonin serum with synthetic calcitonin. The CGRP-immunoreactivity in neuroendocrine cells and in the neuronal cells was abolished by preincubation of anti-CGRP serum with synthetic CGRP. Thus, while the calcitonin gene is expressed exclusively or predominantly as either calcitonin or CGRP in all other tissues except thyroid C-cells, our results strongly suggest that both peptides are expressed in the rat bronchopulmonary neuroendocrine cells. |
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Keywords: | Neuropeptides Colocalization Neuroepithelial bodies APUD cells Gene expression Rat |
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