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Selective expression of Gi/o‐coupled ATP receptor P2Y 12 in microglia in rat brain
Author(s) -
Sasaki Yo,
Hoshi Masato,
Akazawa Chihiro,
Nakamura Yasuko,
Tsuzuki Hayami,
Inoue Kazuhide,
Kohsaka Shinichi
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
glia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.954
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1098-1136
pISSN - 0894-1491
DOI - 10.1002/glia.10293
Subject(s) - in situ hybridization , microglia , biology , axotomy , receptor , p2y receptor , neun , p2y12 , microbiology and biotechnology , extracellular , immunohistochemistry , messenger rna , neuroscience , central nervous system , purinergic receptor , biochemistry , immunology , gene , clopidogrel , inflammation , aspirin
Extracellular nucleotides, including ATP, have been demonstrated to transmit important physiological signals in the brain through either G‐protein‐coupled P2Y receptors or P2X receptors, which are ligand‐gated ion channels. In this study, we performed a detailed analysis of the expression of the Gi/o‐coupled receptor P2Y 12 in the brain. Northern blot analysis demonstrated that P2Y 12 is expressed predominantly in the brain, and to a lesser extent in the spleen. The cellular localization of P2Y 12 was investigated by in situ hybridization, and P2Y 12 mRNA was detected in small cells distributed throughout the brain, including the hippocampus. Expression of P2Y 12 was also observed in naive and axotomized facial nuclei, and the number of P2Y 12 ‐expressing cells increased following facial nerve axotomy. Selective expression of P2Y 12 mRNA in microglia was confirmed by double‐label in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry with antibodies against NeuN and Iba1 as an immunohistochemical marker for neurons and microglia, respectively. Hardly any P2Y 12 mRNA was detected in macrophages obtained from the spleen and abdominal cavity, which share many surface molecules with microglia. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.