title: Cannabinoid CB1 receptors are expressed by parietal cells of the human gastric mucosa.
abstract: Experimental data suggest that the endogenous cannabinoid system is involved in gastric function in different animal species. In most of them, CB(1) receptors have been localized on vagal terminals innervating the external wall of the stomach. We aimed at studying the putative presence and distribution of these receptors in the human gastric mucosa. To this end, we first performed Western blotting, RT-PCR, in situ hybridization, and immunohistochemical analysis of CB(1) protein distribution in biopsy samples of healthy individuals. To determine the precise cell populations expressing CB(1) receptors, we performed double immunofluorescence plus confocal microscopy analysis of the same samples. Our results show that CB(1) receptors are present in the gastric epithelium of the mucosa. Specifically, they are expressed by a subpopulation of mucosal cells, the acid-secreting parietal cells, as shown by double immunohistochemical staining and by their differential abundance in subregions of the gastric mucosa. These results reinforce the notion of a prominent role for the endocannabinoid system in the gastric function in humans and postulate the use of cannabinoid CB(1) receptors in parietal cells as new therapeutic targets for the regulation of gastric acid production.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Research and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red sobre Enfermedades Neurodegenerativas (CIBERNED), Fundación Hospital Alcorcón, Alcorcón, Madrid, Spain.
authors.forename: María Ruth
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Pazos
authors.forename: Rosa María
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Tolón
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Benito
authors.forename: Conrado Fernández
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: Juan José
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Gorgojo
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nevado
authors.forename: Mariano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alvarez
authors.forename: Francisco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Arias
authors.forename: Francisca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Almodóvar
authors.forename: María Teresa Pérez
authors.initials: MT
authors.lastname: Fernández
authors.forename: José Luis
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lledó
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: González
authors.forename: José Javier
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Fernández-Ruiz
authors.forename: Julián
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Romero
mesh_terms: D015153:Blotting, Western; D005744:Gastric Acid / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010295:Parietal Cells, Gastric / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1 / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D043884:Receptor, Cannabinoid, CB1