title: Wide distribution and subcellular localization of histamine in sympathetic nervous systems of different species.
abstract: Previous studies have demonstrated that histamine (HA) acts as a neurotransmitter in the cardiac sympathetic nervous system of the guinea pig. The aim of the current study was to examine whether HA widely exists in the sympathetic nervous systems of other species and the subcellular localization of HA in sympathetic terminals. An immunofluorescence histochemical multiple-staining technique and anterograde tracing method were employed to visualize the colocalization of HA and norepinephrine (NE) in sympathetic ganglion and nerve fibers in different species. Pre-embedding immunoelectron microscopy was used to observe the subcellular distribution of HA in sympathetic nerve terminals. Under the confocal microscope, coexistence of NE and HA was displayed in the superior cervical ganglion and celiac ganglion neurons of the mouse and dog as well as in the vas deferens, mesenteric artery axon, and varicosities of the mouse and guinea pig. Furthermore, colocalization of NE and HA in cardiac sympathetic axons and varicosities was labeled by biotinylated dextranamine injected into the superior cervical ganglion of the guinea pig. By electron microscopy, HA-like high-density immunoreactive products were seen in the small vesicles of the guinea pig vas deferens. These results provide direct cellular and subcellular morphological evidence for the colocalization of HA and NE in sympathetic ganglion and nerve fibers, and support that HA is classified as a neurotransmitter in sympathetic neurons.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, PR China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Mingkai
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Gonghao
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Jia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Xue
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Yumei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Xiaoxing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Luo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004285:Dogs; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005728:Ganglia, Sympathetic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D006632:Histamine / Q000378:metabolism*; D007001:Hypogastric Plexus / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008638:Mesenteric Arteries / Q000294:innervation / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D016253:Microscopy, Immunoelectron; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009638:Norepinephrine / Q000378:metabolism*; D017729:Presynaptic Terminals / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013045:Species Specificity; D017783:Superior Cervical Ganglion / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D017779:Sympathetic Fibers, Postganglionic / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013564:Sympathetic Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D014649:Vas Deferens / Q000294:innervation / Q000648:ultrastructure
chemical_list: D006632:Histamine; D009638:Norepinephrine