title: Expression patterns and quantitative assessment of neurochemical markers in the lung of the gray bichir, Polypterus senegalus (Cuvier, 1829).
abstract: Anatomical and functional studies of the autonomic innervation and the putative oxygen receptors-the neuroepithelial (NEC)-like cells of the bichirs are lacking. The present paper describes the distribution of both NEC-like cells and the polymorphous granular cells (PGCs) that populate the mucociliated epithelium of the lung in the air breathing fish Polypterus senegalus. By using confocal immunohistochemistry we determined the coexpression of specific neurochemical markers. Colocalization studies showed that 5HT is coexpressed with calbindin and nNOS in the NEC-like cells and PGCs, and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) is coexpressed with nNOS in both the two types of cells. Distribution of neurotransmitters (5HT, NO) and neurochemical marker ChAT is also investigated in the lung muscle. The role of these transmitters may be the autonomic control of circulation and respiration. However, the importance of these signals for the respiratory responses in the species studied is still not known. The present study also shows for the first time the simultaneous occurrence of piscidin 1 and 5HT in the PGCs. The function of these cells being equivalent to ones found in fish gill subepithelial parenchyma, is still not known. Due to the importance of piscidin 1 in local immune defense, more research is useful to understand a possible interaction of PGCs with immune response in the bichir lung.
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Territorial, Food and Health Security (S.A.S.T.A.S.), Viale Stagno d'Alcontres 31, University of Messina1, I-98166 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Eugenia Rita
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Lauriano
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology Polígono de Cazoña, University of Cantabria, Faculty of Medicine, s/n, 39011 Santander, Spain.
authors.forename: Jose Manuel
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Icardo
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Territorial, Food and Health Security (S.A.S.T.A.S.), Viale Stagno d'Alcontres 31, University of Messina1, I-98166 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zaccone
authors.affiliation: Poison Information Centre, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kopernika 15, 31-501 Crakow, Poland. Electronic address: michalkuciel@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Michal
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuciel
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Reproduction of Animals, University of Rzeszow, Rzeszow, Poland.
authors.forename: Leszek
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Satora
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Territorial, Food and Health Security (S.A.S.T.A.S.), Viale Stagno d'Alcontres 31, University of Messina1, I-98166 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Alesci
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Territorial, Food and Health Security (S.A.S.T.A.S.), Viale Stagno d'Alcontres 31, University of Messina1, I-98166 Messina, Italy.
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alfa
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental Sciences, Territorial, Food and Health Security (S.A.S.T.A.S.), Viale Stagno d'Alcontres 31, University of Messina1, I-98166 Messina, Italy. Electronic address: gzaccone@unime.it.
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zaccone
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D064026:Calbindins / Q000378:metabolism; D029941:Fish Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D005399:Fishes / Q000378:metabolism*; D008168:Lung / Q000378:metabolism*; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000378:metabolism; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D023181:Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides; D015415:Biomarkers; C072167:CAT development factor; D064026:Calbindins; D029941:Fish Proteins; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; C449802:moronecidin protein, Morone saxatilis; D012701:Serotonin; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I
keywords: Confocal immunohistochemistry; Gray bichir; Lung; Neurochemical markers; Pis-1