title: Morphological evidence for the location of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) immunoreactivity in rat lymphocytes.
abstract: Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is widely distributed in sensory neurons and nerve fibers. It was shown recently in our laboratory that there was CGRP-immunoreactivity (CGRP-ir) in extract of rat lymphocyte of thymus and mesenteric lymph node by radioimmunoassay and reversed-phase HPLC. The aim of this study was to detect the CGRP-ir location in the rat lymphocyte by immunocytochemical method. Single cells isolated from thymus and mesenteric lymph node of male Wistar rat (200-250 g) were suspended in RPMI-1640 medium. After adhesion to plate wall and through nylon wool fiber columns, T cell-riched suspension was obtained. Immunocytochemical ABC method was performed in cell suspension, the specific antiserum (1:200 diluted) was rabbit anti-human CGRP. The cells were examined under light microscope after smeared on glass slide by Shandon Cytospin. The results showed that some lymphocytes were CGRP-ir positive. The positive granules were seen as ring, plaque, cap or spot distributing on the surface or inside the cell. The results indicate that CGRP-ir may be located in some rat T lymphocytes. This work provides new information about the interaction between the nervous and the immune systems. The functional significance of CGRP located in lymphocytes needs to be further studied.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Vascular Med., Third Hospital, Beijing Med. Univ., P.R. of China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xing
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: X
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D008214:Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D015213:Neuroimmunomodulation; D011817:Rabbits; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide