title: Immunolocalisation of endothelin-1 in human brain.
abstract: The potent vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 (ET-1) may function as a neuropeptide and be a contributing factor in some neurological disorders, e.g. Alzheimer's dementia. The presence of ET-1 has been studied more extensively in the rat and porcine nervous systems than in the human brain. Also, the recent description of the extensive ET-1 mRNA localisation in human neural tissue supports expression in regions of human brain not previously investigated. Using specific anti-ET-1 polyclonal antiserum, we immunolocalised ET-1 in 24 regions of human brain autopsy tissues, and correlated this with ET-1 mRNA distribution. ET-1 immunoreactivity was observed within some cells of all the 24 areas examined. Neuronal staining for ET-1 was demonstrated within the diencephalon, brainstem, basal nuclei, cerebral cortex, cerebellar hemisphere, amygdala and hippocampus. In addition, ET-1 immunolabelling was visualised in the pituitary gland as well as in the choroid plexus. The primary sensory cortex and pineal gland also contained immunoreactive ET-1, although ET-1 mRNA had never been detected in these regions previously. The localisation of ET-1 and its subsequent correlation with ET-1 mRNA in most of the regions investigated suggest a more extensive distribution of the ET system in the human brain than was previously identified.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, Nelson R Mandela School of Medicine, University of Natal, South Africa.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Naidoo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Naidoo
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Raidoo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001923:Brain Chemistry; D019332:Endothelin-1 / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D019332:Endothelin-1; D012333:RNA, Messenger