Zacharko-Siembida A, Matysek M, Szalak R, Radlińska A, Obszańska K, Arciszewski M B
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Pol J Vet Sci. 2017 Mar 28;20(1):173-183. doi: 10.1515/pjvs-2017-0022.
Cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART) peptides are widely expressed not only in the brain but also in numerous endocrine/neuroendocrine cells as well as in neurons of the peripheral nervous system. The present study investigated the distribution patterns of CART-like immunoreactivity in the pelvic plexus (PP) of the female pig. The co-expression of CART with principal neurotransmitter markers: choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), serotonin (5-HT) or biologically active neuropeptides: pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), substance P (SP), calbindin was analyzed using double immunohistochemical stainings. Amongst neurons immunopositive to Hu C/D panneuronal marker as many as 4.1 ± 1.2% in right and 4.4 ± 1.6% in left pelvic ganglia were found to express CART. The vast majority of CART-IR ganglionic neurons were predominantly small in size and were evenly scattered throughout particular ganglia. Immunoreactivity to CART was also detected in numerous nerve terminals (which frequently formed pericellular formations around CART-negative perikarya) as well as in numerous nerve fibres within nerve branches interconnecting the unilateral pelvic ganglia. Immunohistochemistry revealed that virtually all CART-IR neurons were cholinergic in nature and CART-IR basket-like formations frequently encircled TH-positive/CART-negative perikarya. None of CART-IR ganglionic neurons showed immunoreactivity to SP, PACAP, 5-HT or calbindin. CART-IR nerve fibres ran in a close vicinity to serotonin-containing cells or faintly labelled SP-expressing neurons. On the other hand, PACAP-IR, SP-IR (but not 5-HT-positive) nerve terminals were found to run in close proximity to CART-IR neurons. Our results indicate that: 1) CART present in PP may influence the activity of pelvic ganglionic neurons/SIF cells, 2) PP should be considered as a potential source of CART-like supply to pelvic viscera and 3) functional interactions between CART and SP or PACAP are possible at the periphery.
可卡因和苯丙胺调节转录物（CART）肽不仅在大脑中广泛表达，而且在许多内分泌/神经内分泌细胞以及外周神经系统的神经元中也广泛表达。本研究调查了雌性猪盆腔神经丛（PP）中CART样免疫反应性的分布模式。使用双重免疫组织化学染色分析了CART与主要神经递质标志物：胆碱乙酰转移酶（ChAT）、酪氨酸羟化酶（TH）、5-羟色胺（5-HT）或生物活性神经肽：垂体腺苷酸环化酶激活多肽（PACAP）、P物质（SP）、钙结合蛋白的共表达。在对Hu C/D泛神经元标志物呈免疫阳性的神经元中，发现右侧盆腔神经节中有多达4.1±1.2%、左侧盆腔神经节中有4.4±1.6%表达CART。绝大多数CART免疫反应性神经节神经元主要体积较小，均匀地散布在各个神经节中。在许多神经末梢（经常在CART阴性的胞体周围形成细胞周结构）以及连接单侧盆腔神经节神经分支内的许多神经纤维中也检测到了对CART的免疫反应性。免疫组织化学显示，几乎所有CART免疫反应性神经元本质上都是胆碱能的，并且CART免疫反应性篮状结构经常环绕TH阳性/CART阴性的胞体。没有一个CART免疫反应性神经节神经元对SP、PACAP、5-HT或钙结合蛋白呈免疫反应性。CART免疫反应性神经纤维靠近含5-羟色胺的细胞或轻度标记的表达SP的神经元。另一方面，发现PACAP免疫反应性、SP免疫反应性（但不是5-HT阳性）神经末梢靠近CART免疫反应性神经元。我们的结果表明：1）PP中存在的CART可能影响盆腔神经节神经元/SIF细胞的活性，2）PP应被视为盆腔脏器CART样供应的潜在来源，3）CART与SP或PACAP之间在外周可能存在功能相互作用。
