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Tachykinins and tachykinin receptors in bone
Author(s) -
Goto Tetsuya,
Tanaka Teruo
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/jemt.10123
Subject(s) - neurokinin a , tachykinin receptor , neurokinin b , substance p , receptor , neuropeptide , tachykinin receptor 1 , biology , medicine , chemistry , endocrinology
Tachykinins are neuropeptides that are widely distributed in the body and function as neurotransmitters and neuromodulators. Five tachykinin subtypes: substance P (SP), neurokinin A, neurokinin B, neuropeptide K, and neuropeptide γ; and three receptor subtypes: neurokinin‐1, ‐2, and ‐3 receptors, have been identified. SP was the first peptide of the tachykinin family to be identified. It is considered to be an important neuropeptide, and to function in the nervous system and intestine. However, recent advances in the analysis of SP receptors, particularly neurokinin‐1 receptors (NK 1 ‐Rs) that have high affinity for SP, have demonstrated that NK 1 ‐Rs are distributed not only in neurons and immune cells, but also in other peripheral cells, including bone cells. This article reviews the current understanding of the distribution of SP and other tachykinins in bone, and the function of tachykinins, through neurokinin receptors. The distribution of tachykinin‐immunoreactive axons and neurokinin receptors suggests that tachykinins may directly modulate bone metabolism through neurokinin receptors. Microsc. Res. Tech. 58:91–97, 2002. © 2002 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.