Grimes P A, Uddoh C, Koeberlein B, Stone R A
Department of Ophthalmology and Scheie Eye Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA.
Neurosci Lett. 1995 Jan 2;183(1-2):108-11. doi: 10.1016/0304-3940(94)11126-4.
Helospectin I and II, nearly identical peptides isolated from lizard venom, show close sequence homology with vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP). In mammals, the helospectins have been localized immunohistochemically to neurons of the brain, digestive tract and respiratory system, commonly co-existing with VIP. Using an antiserum that recognizes both forms of the peptide, we localized helospectin-like immunoreactivity in the rat eye and pterygopalatine ganglion. In the eye, helospectin-positive nerve fibers were evident mostly in the choroid, associated with small arterial vessels or distributed diffusely in the stroma; they were only occasionally seen in the anterior uvea. All of the helospectin nerve fibers also appeared to be immunoreactive for VIP. In the pterygopalatine ganglion, the principal source of VIP-containing innervation of the posterior uvea, approximately 25% of ganglion cells were helospectin-positive; all helospectin-reactive cells were also strongly positive for VIP. This immunohistochemical localization of helospectin indicates possible involvement in ocular autonomic functions, particularly regulation of blood flow.
Helospectin I和II是从蜥蜴毒液中分离出的几乎相同的肽，与血管活性肠肽（VIP）具有密切的序列同源性。在哺乳动物中，helospectins已通过免疫组织化学定位到脑、消化道和呼吸系统的神经元中，通常与VIP共存。使用一种能识别两种肽形式的抗血清，我们在大鼠眼睛和翼腭神经节中定位了helospectin样免疫反应性。在眼睛中，helospectin阳性神经纤维主要在脉络膜中明显，与小动脉血管相关或在基质中弥漫分布；它们仅偶尔在前葡萄膜中出现。所有helospectin神经纤维似乎也对VIP有免疫反应。在翼腭神经节中，后葡萄膜含VIP神经支配的主要来源，约25%的神经节细胞是helospectin阳性的；所有helospectin反应性细胞对VIP也呈强阳性。helospectin的这种免疫组织化学定位表明其可能参与眼部自主功能，特别是血流调节。
