title: Immunolocalization of leptin and its receptor in the pancreas of the horse.
abstract: The aim of the present study was to demonstrate the presence and the distribution of leptin and its receptor in the pancreas of horses of both sexes by immunohistochemical techniques. The presence and the distribution of leptin receptor were also investigated in the initial portion of the duodenum, near the duodenal ampulla. The immunohistochemical investigation demonstrates the immunolocalization of both leptin and its receptor in the endocrine cells of pancreatic islets, which led us to hypothesize that leptin may possibly exert an autocrine/paracrine action on the endocrine pancreas. Examination of the exocrine pancreas in the same treated sections showed the presence of leptin-positive cells in the wall of the interlobular ducts where, however, the receptor was not found. This observation led us to consider that some cells of the ducts may perform some minimal secretory activity, and that leptin produced by these ductal cells may reach the duodenum in the pancreatic juice. This hypothesis is enhanced by the presence of leptin-receptor in the duodenum of the same animals, where the epithelial cells of the mucosa showed intense immunolocalization in the brush border. Consequently it is possible that the ductular leptin may play a regulatory role on the functionality of the enterocytes.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze Biopatologiche Veterinarie ed Igiene delle Produzioni Animali e Alimentari, Sezione di Anatomia - Università degli Studi di Perugia, Via San Costanzo 4, 06126 Perugia, Italy. Electronic address: cecilia.dallaglio@unipg.it.
authors.forename: Cecilia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dall'Aglio
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mercati
authors.forename: Luisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pascucci
authors.forename: Piero
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ceccarelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004386:Duodenum / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020895:Enterocytes / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006736:Horses; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007515:Islets of Langerhans / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D020738:Leptin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008871:Microvilli / Q000378:metabolism; D010183:Pancreatic Ducts / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D054411:Receptors, Leptin / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D020738:Leptin; D054411:Receptors, Leptin
keywords: Horse; Immunohistochemistry; Leptin; Leptin receptor; Pancreas