Open AccessCharacterization of Perivascular Nerve Distribution in Rat Mesenteric Small Arteries
Author(s) -
Ayako Yokomizo,
Shingo Takatori,
Narumi Hashikawa-Hobara,
Mitsuhiro Goda,
Hiromu Kawasaki
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
biological and pharmaceutical bulletin
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.635
H-Index - 117
eISSN - 1347-5215
pISSN - 0918-6158
DOI - 10.1248/bpb.b15-00461
Subject(s) - calcitonin gene related peptide , neuropeptide y receptor , anatomy , mesenteric arteries , vasodilation , medicine , endocrinology , calcitonin , artery , chemistry , neuropeptide , receptor
The distribution pattern of perivascular nerves in some branches of rat mesenteric arteries was studied. Mesenteric arteries isolated from 8-week-old Wistar rats were divided into the 1st-, 2nd-, and 3rd-order branches. The distribution of perivascular nerves in each branch was immunohistochemically evaluated using antibodies against neuropeptide Y (NPY), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), substance P (SP), and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS). The density of NPY-, TH-, CGRP-, and SP-like immunoreactive (LI) nerves in the 2nd and 3rd branches was significantly greater than that in the 1st branch, and a negative relationship was found between nerve density and arterial diameter, except for TH-LI nerves. The density of NPY- and TH-LI nerves in all branches, which was similar, was greater than that of CGRP- (except for NPY-LI nerves in the 1st branch), SP-, or nNOS-LI nerves. Double immunostaining revealed that TH-LI nerves made contact with nNOS-LI, CGRP-LI, and SP-LI nerves and that CGRP-LI nerves made contact with TH-, NPY-, or nNOS-LI nerves, while TH-LI and CGRP-LI nerves nearly merged with NPY-LI and SP-LI nerves, respectively. These results suggest that the each branch of mesenteric arteries is densely innervated by vasoconstrictor nerves containing NPY, TH, and vasodilator CGRP nerves. They also suggest that the intense density of perivascular nerves in the 2nd and 3rd branches may contribute to maintaining vascular tone.