Gaytan F, Martinez-Fuentes A J, Garcia-Navarro F, Vaudry H, Aguilar E
Department of Cell Biology, University of Cordoba, Spain.
Cell Tissue Res. 1994 May;276(2):223-7. doi: 10.1007/BF00306107.
Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide (PACAP) is a novel peptide isolated from the ovine hypothalamus. PACAP exists in 2 molecular forms with 27 (PACAP27) or 38 (PACAP38) amino acid residues. PACAP localization was studied by immunohistochemical methods in central (bone marrow and thymus) and peripheral (spleen, lymph nodes and duodenal mucosa) lymphoid tissues with antisera raised against PACAP27 or PACAP38. PACAP-positive cells were found in all lymphoid tissues examined. These cells were highly positive for PACAP38 but were negative for PACAP27. Morphologically, they were small mononuclear cells with relatively scarce cytoplasm and lymphocyte-like features. PACAP38-positive cells were abundant in peripheral lymphoid tissues (i.e., mesenteric lymph nodes). In the duodenal mucosa, PACAP38-positive cells were located either in the lamina propria or epithelium. These results suggest that PACAP38-positive cells are present within lymphoid tissues and may represent a lymphocyte-like cell subpopulation that has a potential role in cell-to-cell interactions in the immune system and in the integrated communication between neuroendocrine and immune systems.
垂体腺苷酸环化酶激活肽（PACAP）是一种从绵羊下丘脑分离出的新型肽。PACAP以两种分子形式存在，分别具有27个（PACAP27）或38个（PACAP38）氨基酸残基。利用针对PACAP27或PACAP38制备的抗血清，通过免疫组织化学方法研究了PACAP在中枢淋巴组织（骨髓和胸腺）和外周淋巴组织（脾脏、淋巴结和十二指肠黏膜）中的定位。在所检测的所有淋巴组织中均发现了PACAP阳性细胞。这些细胞对PACAP38呈强阳性，但对PACAP27呈阴性。从形态学上看，它们是小的单核细胞，细胞质相对稀少，具有淋巴细胞样特征。PACAP38阳性细胞在外周淋巴组织（如肠系膜淋巴结）中丰富。在十二指肠黏膜中，PACAP38阳性细胞位于固有层或上皮中。这些结果表明，PACAP38阳性细胞存在于淋巴组织中，可能代表一种淋巴细胞样细胞亚群，在免疫系统的细胞间相互作用以及神经内分泌系统与免疫系统的整合通讯中具有潜在作用。
