title: Expression of GABAA receptor beta2/3 subunits in the rat major pelvic ganglion.
abstract: Several pharmacological and physiological studies have suggested that GABA(A) receptors (GABA(A) Rs) may exist in the rat major pelvic ganglion (MPG), a large coalescent pelvic ganglion that contains both sympathetic and parasympathetic components which innervates pelvic organs. However, the presence of GABA(A) R in the MPG has never been demonstrated directly by morphological studies. In the present study, we used immunohistochemistry to demonstrate the existence of GABA(A) R beta2/3 subunits for the first time in the rat MPG. We also analyzed the neurochemical properties of MPG neurons expressing GABA(A) R beta2/3 subunits. GABA(A) R beta2/3-immunoreactive (-IR) neurons occupied 27.4+/-7.0% of the whole neuronal population, and many of these (77.6%) were co-localized with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH). Likewise, most (86.5%) of TH-IR neurons were GABA(A) R beta2/3-positive. GABA(A) R beta2/3 subunits were also expressed in a few VIP- or NOS-IR neurons, the cholinergic or non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) neurons. These results suggest that GABA(A) Rs are involved in the modulation of most sympathetic, noradrenergic neurons and also a subset of VIP and NOS neurons of the rat MPG.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Institute of Basic Medical Science and Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, 162, Ilsan-dong, Gangwon-do 220-701, South Korea.
authors.forename: Jung Cheol
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Dae Yong
authors.initials: DY
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jin Suk
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: In Deok
authors.initials: ID
authors.lastname: Kong
authors.forename: Seong-Woo
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Bong Hee
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Ho Suck
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kang
authors.forename: Byung Pil
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D005726:Ganglia, Parasympathetic / Q000378:metabolism*; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D010388:Pelvis / Q000294:innervation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A / Q000096:biosynthesis*
chemical_list: C502185:Gabrb2 protein, rat; C546276:Gabrb3 protein, rat; D011963:Receptors, GABA-A