Expression of angiotensinogen mRNA and localization of angiotensin II and renin in peripheral adrenergic neurons in primary culture.

Although the presence of a local renin-angiotensin system has been established in a number of tissues, evidence for the existence and expression of the components of the renin-angiotensin system in peripheral adrenergic neurons is still missing. Here we provide the results showing the expression of angiotensinogen mRNA and localization of renin and angiotensin II in primary cultured fetal pig superior cervical ganglion neurons but not in non-neuronal cells by in situ hybridization with biotinylated oligodeoxynucleotide probe and immunocytochemical approaches. Our confocal laser scanning microscopical results confirm that angiotensinogen mRNA is expressed in the renin containing neurons. These results, for the first time, provide direct evidence that peripheral adrenergic neurons are not only target cells of angiotensin, but are also a local angiotensin generating source.