Distribution of kappa-opioid receptor in the pulmonary artery and its changes during hypoxia.
The present study evaluated the distribution of kappa-opioid receptors (kappa-ORs) in pulmonary arteries (PAs) in rats and investigated whether kappa-ORs are altered in PAs during hypoxia. An animal model of hypobaric/hypoxic pulmonary hypertension and a pulmonary artery smooth muscle cell (PASMC) model of hypoxia were utilized. Distribution of kappa-ORs was determined by fluorescence immunohistochemistry and changes in kappa-ORs expression in PAs and PASMCs were determined by fluorescence immunohistochemistry or Western blot techniques. The kappa-ORs were primarily distributed in the smooth muscle layer of the PAs and in the nucleus of PASMCs. The expression of the kappa-ORs were increased in PAs of rats subjected to hypoxia for 1-4 week (P < 0.01). Accordingly, the expression of kappa-ORs in PASMCs were also increased when subjected to hypoxia for 12-36 hr (P < 0.05). The present study has provided evidence for the first time of the precise location of kappa-ORs in PAs and PASMCs of rats and that hypoxia upregulates expression of kappa-ORs.
Peng
Pai
P
Department of Plastic Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, China.
Huang
Lu-Yu
LY
Li
Juan
J
Fan
Rong
R
Zhang
Shu-Miao
SM
Wang
Yue-Min
YM
Hu
Yu-Zhen
YZ
Sun
Xin
X
Kaye
Alan David
AD
Pei
Jian-Ming
JM
D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D011651:Pulmonary Artery / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011652:Pulmonary Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa / Q000378:metabolism*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology
D017473:Receptors, Opioid, kappa