Liu Y, Yamada H
Department of Anatomy, Shiga University of Medical Science, Japan.
Kaibogaku Zasshi. 1998 Aug;73(4):337-44.
The distribution of endothelin (ET)-containing mast cells was immunohistochemically investigated in the rat lung and gastrointestinal tract using antibodies against Big ET-1, Big ET-2, Big ET-3, mature ETs and their receptors of ET-A, and ET-B. In the lung, numerous mature ETs-containing mast cells were present in connective tissue around the bronchus, bronchioles and in the interalveolar septa. The number of Big ET-2-containing mast cells was almost the same as that of Big ET-3-containing mast cells, while Big ET-1-positive mast cells were fewer than that of the other isopeptides. In all the regions of the gastrointestinal tract, immunoreactivity for mature ETs was found mainly in mast cells of the lamina propria, the number of Big ET-2 and Big ET-3-containing cells was almost the same similar to that found in the lung, while Big ET-1-containing cells were very few. Moreover, mast cells in not only lung but also gastrointestinal tract contain both of ET-A and ET-B receptors. Electron-microscopically, ET-immunoreaction products were mainly precipitated in the mast cell granules. Hence, we presume that ETs are synthesized in and secreted from mast cells in the rat lung and gastrointestinal tract; they act in an autocrine/paracrine fashion; and their main isopeptides are ET-2 and ET-3.
利用抗大内皮素-1（Big ET-1）、大内皮素-2（Big ET-2）、大内皮素-3（Big ET-3）、成熟内皮素（ETs）及其ET-A和ET-B受体的抗体，通过免疫组织化学方法研究了大鼠肺和胃肠道中含内皮素（ET）的肥大细胞的分布。在肺中，支气管、细支气管周围的结缔组织以及肺泡间隔中有大量含成熟ETs的肥大细胞。含Big ET-2的肥大细胞数量与含Big ET-3的肥大细胞数量几乎相同，而含Big ET-1的肥大细胞比其他异肽的肥大细胞少。在胃肠道的所有区域，成熟ETs的免疫反应性主要见于固有层的肥大细胞，含Big ET-2和Big ET-3的细胞数量与肺中发现的数量几乎相同，而含Big ET-1的细胞很少。此外，不仅肺中的肥大细胞，胃肠道中的肥大细胞也同时含有ET-A和ET-B受体。电镜观察发现，ET免疫反应产物主要沉淀在肥大细胞颗粒中。因此，我们推测ETs在大鼠肺和胃肠道的肥大细胞中合成并分泌；它们以自分泌/旁分泌方式发挥作用；其主要异肽为ET-2和ET-3。
