title: Comparative immunohistochemical demonstration of peptide F- and other enkephalin-containing neurons in the enteric nervous system of the rat.
abstract: The immunohistochemical localization of peptide F and the related enkephalins met5-enkephalin (met-enk), leu5-enkephalin (leu-enk), met5-enkephalin-arg6-phe7 (met-enk-arg-phe), and met5-enkephalin-arg6-gly7-leu8 (met-enk-arg-gly-leu) was investigated by means of the indirect immunofluorescence technique in the enteric nervous system of the rat. Peptide F-like immunoreactivity was widely distributed within neuronal structures throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of the rat. Peptide F-containing nerve cell bodies were mainly located in the myenteric plexus, and only rarely were seen in the submucosal plexus. Peptide F-immunoreactive nerve fibers were principally present in the myenteric plexus and circular muscle layer; few were found in the submucosal plexus, longitudinal muscle layer, muscularis mucosa, and mucosa. No peptide F-containing fibers were found associated with blood vessels in the gut. By comparing the distribution of immunoreactive peptide F with other related enkephalins met-enk, leu-enk, met-enk-arg-phe, and met-enk-arg-gly-leu, we observed that there was a remarkable similarity in the distribution of peptide F and other enkephalins in the GI tract. These data, combined with our previous studies, indicate that peptide F may coexist with other related enkephalins in the same neurons of the enteric nervous system. The results suggest that peptide F, a product of the proenkephalin A gene, may play a physiological role within the enteric nervous system.
authors.affiliation: Neuropsychiatry Branch, National Institute of Mental Health, Saint Elizabeths Hospital, Washington, DC 20032.
authors.forename: Y N
authors.initials: YN
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Wyatt
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004064:Digestive System / Q000166:cytology / Q000294:innervation*; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000032:analysis; D004745:Enkephalins / Q000032:analysis*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000166:cytology / Q000294:innervation*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007106:Immune Sera; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012016:Reference Values
chemical_list: D004745:Enkephalins; D007106:Immune Sera; D011498:Protein Precursors; D004744:Enkephalin, Methionine; C036452:peptide F