Growth hormone secretagogue receptor expression in the cells of the stomach-projected afferent nerve in the rat nodose ganglion.
Growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHS-R) is widely expressed in various regions of the body, such as the brain, pituitary gland, heart and gastrointestinal tract. Recently, ghrelin, an endogenous ligand for GHS-R, was found in the rat stomach, and several studies have suggested that ghrelin acts via the vagal afferent nerve. In this study, we studied the expression of GHS-R mRNA in the rat nodose ganglion by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and in situ hybridization, the results of which clearly demonstrated the presence of GHS-R mRNA and GHS-R producing cells in the rat nodose ganglion. We also studied the retrograde tracing of nodose ganglion cells to the stomach and found that some GHS-R mRNA-expressing cells contain the retrograde rebelling. Our results provide direct morphological evidence that GHS-R is produced in afferent neurons of the nodose ganglion and suggest that ghrelin signals from the stomach are transmitted to the brain via vagal afferent nerves.
Sakata
Ichiro
I
Department of Regulation Biology, Faculty of Science, Saitama University, 255 Shimo-ohkubo, 338-8570, Saitama, Japan.
Yamazaki
Mami
M
Inoue
Kinji
K
Hayashi
Yujiro
Y
Kangawa
Kenji
K
Sakai
Takafumi
T
D000344:Afferent Pathways / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000502:physiology; D017403:In Situ Hybridization / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009620:Nodose Ganglion / Q000166:cytology*; D009928:Organ Specificity; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000096:biosynthesis; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods; D013270:Stomach / Q000166:cytology / Q000294:innervation*
D005456:Fluorescent Dyes; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D054440:Receptors, Ghrelin