title: Differential expression of the noradrenaline transporter in adrenergic chromaffin cells, ganglion cells and nerve fibres of the rat adrenal medulla.
abstract: Expression of the noradrenaline transporter (NAT) was identified in various cell and fibre populations of the rat adrenal medulla, examined with immunohistochemistry and confocal microscopy. Immunoreactivity for the catecholamine biosynthetic enzymes tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), aromatic-L-amino-acid decarboxylase (AADC) and dopamine beta-hydroxylase (DBH) was present in all chromaffin cells, while phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) was used to determine adrenergic chromaffin cell groups. Labelling with NAT antibody was predominantly cytoplasmic and colocalised with PNMT immunoreactivity. Noradrenergic chromaffin cells were not NAT immunoreactive. Additionally, NAT antibody labelling demonstrated clusters of ganglion cells (presumably Type I) and nerve fibres. Expression of TH, AADC, DBH, PNMT and NAT mRNA was examined using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) from adrenal medulla punches and single chromaffin cells, and results were consistent with those obtained with immunocytochemistry. Chromaffin cells and fibres labelled with antibodies against growth associated protein-43 (GAP-43) were not NAT immunoreactive, while ganglion cells were doubled labelled with the two antibodies. The presence of NAT in adrenergic chromaffin cells, and its absence from noradrenergic cells, suggests that the adrenergic cell type is primarily responsible for uptake of catecholamines in the adrenal medulla.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand. jk.phillips@auckland.ac.nz
authors.forename: J K
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Dubey
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Sesiashvilvi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: D L
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Christie
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lipski
mesh_terms: D000313:Adrenal Medulla / Q000201:enzymology / Q000294:innervation* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D002395:Catecholamines / Q000096:biosynthesis; D019439:Chromaffin Cells / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D019922:GAP-43 Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009412:Nerve Fibers / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D050484:Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism*; D027981:Symporters
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D002395:Catecholamines; D019922:GAP-43 Protein; D050484:Norepinephrine Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins; C493226:Slc6a2 protein, rat; D027981:Symporters; D009638:Norepinephrine