title: Leptin receptor expression in nodose ganglion cells projecting to the rat gastric fundus.
abstract: Recent studies suggest that in addition to adipocytes the chief cells of the gastric fundic mucosa are a site of leptin production. In order to assess the possible role of vagal afferent neurons in transmitting leptin signals from the stomach to the brain, leptin receptor (OB-R) expression was investigated in rat nodose ganglion cells and their projection to the stomach determined by retrograde tracing. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction combined with laser-assisted cell picking revealed that large and small diameter neurons express both the long (OB-Rb) and short (OB-Ra) splice variants of the OB-R. OB-R like immunoreactivity was detected in the perikarya of approximately 8% of nodose ganglion neurons. Tracing studies revealed that a significant proportion (15%) of the immunopositive neurons projected to the gastric fundus. These findings suggest that leptin may use a neural route to relay its message from peripheral sites of leptin synthesis such as the gastric fundus to the brain.
authors.affiliation: Division of Allergy Research, Department of Pediatric Pneumology and Immunology, Charité, Virchow Campus, Humboldt-University, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353 Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Peiser
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Springer
authors.forename: David A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Groneberg
authors.forename: Gerard P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: McGregor
authors.forename: Axel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fischer
authors.forename: Rudolf E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Lang
mesh_terms: D000578:Amidines; D000818:Animals; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D005748:Gastric Fundus / Q000294:innervation* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020738:Leptin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D009620:Nodose Ganglion / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology; D017833:Visceral Afferents / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D000578:Amidines; D002352:Carrier Proteins; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D020738:Leptin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D054411:Receptors, Leptin; C031455:diamidino compound 253-50