title: Immunohistochemical detection of nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits alpha9 and alpha10 in rat lung isografts and allografts.
abstract: The success of clinical lung transplantation is poor in comparison to other solid organ transplants and novel therapeutic approaches are badly needed. In the view of the recent discovery of anti-inflammatory pathways mediated via nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, we investigated changes in this system in pulmonary isografts and allografts by immunohistochemistry. Lung transplantation was performed in the isogeneic Lewis to Lewis rat strain combination. For allogeneic transplantation Dark Agouti rats were used as donors. Nicotinic alpha9 and alpha10 acetylcholine receptor subunits were detected on alveolar macrophages as well as in the lung parenchyma of native and transplanted lungs. The expression of both receptor subunits was up-regulated in the parenchyma of day 4 allografts. These allografts were characterized by accumulations of alveolar macrophages strongly expressing the alpha9 and the alpha10 receptor subunit. Therapeutic application of nicotinic agonists might down-modulate pro-inflammatory functions of alveolar macrophages and protect pulmonary transplants.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Experimental Surgery, Department of General and Thoracic Surgery, University of Giessen Lung Center, Justus-Liebig-University Giessen, Rudolf-Buchheim-Str. 7, D-35385 Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Simone
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Biallas
authors.forename: Sigrid
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wilker
authors.forename: Katrin S
authors.initials: KS
authors.lastname: Lips
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Kummer
authors.forename: Sergei A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Grando
authors.forename: Winfried
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Padberg
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Grau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008168:Lung / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000601:surgery; D016040:Lung Transplantation; D016676:Macrophages, Alveolar / Q000737:chemistry; D021122:Protein Subunits / Q000032:analysis; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000032:analysis*; D013997:Time Factors; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous; D014185:Transplantation, Isogeneic
chemical_list: D021122:Protein Subunits; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic