title: Distribution of NGF and NT-3-like protein immunoreactivity in the teleost kidney.
abstract: By means of immunochemistry and immunohistochemistry, we investigated in the kidney of freshwater and marine teleostean species for the presence and localization of three neurotrophins: nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), and neurotrophin (NT)-3. In both species studied, NGF-like and NT-3-like immunoreactivity were present in the kidney with different distribution patterns, while BDNF-like immunoreactivity was never detected. In goldfish, NGF-like and NT-3-like immunoreactivity were identified extensively in cells along part of the arterial branches adjacent to the afferent arterioles. In scorpion fish, NGF-like and NT-3-like immunoreactive cells were observed both on afferent arterioles and on adjacent secondary branches derived from renal arteries. No immunoreactivity was detected in other renal structures. A staining pattern of immunoreactivity similar to that obtained for NGF and NT-3 was detected utilizing S100 antibody as a juxtaglomerular (JG) cell marker. Double immunolabellings NGF/S100 and NT-3/S100 evidenced the coexistence of neurotrophin-like proteins and S100-like protein in the same immunoreactive cells, thus identifying them as juxtaglomerular cells. Western blot analysis revealed the presence of molecules immunoreactive to NGF and NT-3, whose molecular weights were very similar to those of the corresponding mammalian neurotrophins. These findings extend the presence and distribution of NGF-like and NT-3-like IR in the kidney to teleost species, suggesting a probable participation of these proteins in the renal functions of freshwater and marine teleosts.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Strutture, Funzioni e Tecnologie Biologiche, Università di Napoli Federico II, Via F. Delpino 1, 1 I-80137 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: Nadia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Arcamone
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lucini
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Borzacchiello
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Castaldo
authors.forename: Giuliana
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gargiulo
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Girolamo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001160:Arterioles / Q000378:metabolism; D003530:Cyprinidae / Q000378:metabolism*; D005618:Fresh Water; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism*; D008386:Marine Biology; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D020933:Neurotrophin 3 / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D020933:Neurotrophin 3; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor