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Comparative immunohistochemical demonstration of peptide F‐ and other enkephalin‐containing neurons in the enteric nervous system of the rat
Author(s) -
Wang YenNung,
Wyatt Richard Jed
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
synapse
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.809
H-Index - 106
eISSN - 1098-2396
pISSN - 0887-4476
DOI - 10.1002/syn.890010209
Subject(s) - myenteric plexus , enteric nervous system , enkephalin , peptide , immunohistochemistry , neuropeptide , plexus , nervous system , biology , medicine , proenkephalin , endocrinology , anatomy , biochemistry , neuroscience , receptor , opioid
The immunohistochemical localization of peptide F and the related enkephalins met 5 ‐enkephalin (met‐enk), leu 5 ‐enkephalin (leu‐enk), met 5 ‐enkephalin‐arg 6 ‐Phe 7 (met‐enk‐arg‐phe); and met 5 ‐enkephalin‐arg 6 ‐gly 7 ‐leg 8 (met‐enk‐arg‐gly‐leu) was in vestigated by means of the indirect immunofluorescence technique in the enteric nervous system of the rat. Peptide F‐like immunoreactivity was widely distributed within neuronal structures throughout the gastrointestinal (GI) tract of the rat. Peptide F‐containing nerve cell bodies were meinly located in the myenteric plexus, and only rarely were seen in the submucosal plexus. Peptide F‐immunoreactive nerve fibers were principally present in the myenteric plexus and circular muscle layer; few were found in the submucosal plexus, longitudinal muscle layer, muscularis mucosa, and mucosa. No peptide F‐containing fibers were found associated with blood vessels in the gut. By comparing the distribution of immunoreactive peptide F with other related enkephalins met‐enk, leu‐enk, metenk‐arg‐phe, and met‐enk‐arg‐gly‐leu, we observed that there was a remarkable similarity in the distribution of peptide F and the other enkephalins in the GI tract. These data, combined with our previous studies, indicate that peptide F may coexist with other related enkephalins in the same neurons of the enteric nervous system. The results suggest that peptide F, a product of the proenkephalin A gene, may play a physiological role within the enteric nervous system.