title: Corticotropin-releasing factor: immunohistochemical colocalization with adrenocorticotropin and beta-endorphin, but not with Met-enkephalin, in subpopulations of duodenal perikarya of rat.
abstract: By the use of two different double-staining techniques (simultaneous staining of adjacent serial sections and the double-staining elution method) it was possible to demonstrate that a corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) immunofluorescence co-existed with an adrenocorticotropin (ACTH) and beta-endorphin (beta-END) immunoreactivity, but not with a Met-enkephalin (Met-ENK) immunostaining, within perikarya subpopulations of both the myenteric and submucousal plexus of the rat duodenum. Not a single Met-ENK-positive neuronal cell body was stained also for CRF, ACTH or beta-END. Even nerve fibres, localized in both the myenteric plexus and closely to submucousal blood vessels (probably arterioles), revealed a CRF immunofluorescence, which is also colocalized with an beta-END staining. These results are quite different to the recent observations in the mammalian hypothalamus, suggesting that some myenteric and submucousal plexus neurons may synthesize CRF as well as beta-END and ACTH, but not Met-ENK. The colocalized peptides might be concomitantly released into the synaptic cleft after terminal stimulation.
authors.forename: H J
authors.initials: HJ
authors.lastname: Wolter
mesh_terms: D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000032:analysis*; D000818:Animals; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000032:analysis*; D004386:Duodenum / Q000032:analysis / Q000166:cytology*; D004723:Endorphins / Q000032:analysis*; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000032:analysis*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D001615:beta-Endorphin
chemical_list: D004723:Endorphins; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine; D001615:beta-Endorphin; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone; D003346:Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone