title: Expression and localization of atrial natriuretic peptide and its receptors in rat spiral ganglion neurons.
abstract: Spiral ganglion neurons (SGNs) are the primary auditory neurons in the inner ear, conveying auditory information between sensory hair cells and the central nervous system. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), acting through specific receptors, is a regulatory peptide required for a variety of cardiac and neuronal functions. While the localization of ANP and its receptors (NPR-A and NPR-C) in the inner ear has been widely studied, there is only limited information regarding their localization in cochlear SGNs and their regulatory roles during primary auditory neurotransmission. Here we have investigated the presence of ANP and its receptors in the cochlear spiral ganglion of the postnatal rat using immunohistochemistry, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Western blot analysis. ANP and its receptors are expressed in the cochlear SGNs at both the mRNA and protein level, and co-localize in the cochlear SGNs as shown by immunofluorescence. Our research provides a direct evidence for the presence and synthesis of ANP as well as its receptors in the cochlear SGNs, suggesting a possible role for ANP in modulating the neuronal functions of SGNs via its receptors.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Xijing Hospital, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi Province 710032, China.
authors.forename: Fei
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Ke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Shu-juan
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Peng-fei
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.forename: Yong-xiang
authors.initials: YX
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Guo-xia
authors.initials: GX
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Jian-hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Qiu
authors.forename: Miao-zhang
authors.initials: MZ
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D007758:Ear, Inner / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D045265:Natriuretic Peptides / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017461:Receptors, Atrial Natriuretic Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013136:Spiral Ganglion / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D045265:Natriuretic Peptides; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D009320:Atrial Natriuretic Factor; D017461:Receptors, Atrial Natriuretic Factor