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Expression of pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide in the primary lymphoid organs of the duck Anas platyrhynchos
Author(s) -
Squillacioti Caterina,
Mirabella Nicola,
De Luca Adriana,
Paino Giuseppe
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of anatomy
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.932
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1469-7580
pISSN - 0021-8782
DOI - 10.1111/j.1469-7580.2006.00592.x
Subject(s) - biology , adenylate kinase , immunohistochemistry , bursa of fabricius , lymphatic system , cyclase , endocrinology , medicine , blot , microbiology and biotechnology , immune system , receptor , gene , stimulation , immunology , biochemistry
Abstract The expression of pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide (PACAP) was studied in the thymus and bursa of Fabricius of the duck Anas platyrhynchos , at different ages, using immunohistochemistry, Western blotting, RT‐PCR and sequencing. In the thymus, PACAP immunoreactivity (‐ir) was found in lymphoid cells. CD68/ and PGP 9.5/PACAP38 double labelling showed that PACAP was not expressed either in macrophages or in epithelial cells, suggesting that the PACAP‐positive cells observed were lymphoid cells. Immunoreactive lymphocytes were observed in the interlobular septa. They increased in number with ageing. In the bursa, PACAP‐ir was found in nerve fibres and in a few lymphoid cells. RT‐PCR revealed PACAP mRNA expression in the thymus but not in the bursa. These results suggest that PACAP plays a role in the functions of the immune system in birds.