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Expression of P2X6 receptors in the enteric nervous system of the rat gastrointestinal tract

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Abstract

Expression of P2X4 and P2X6 receptor subunits in the gastrointestinal tract of the rat was studied with double-labeling fluorescence immunohistochemistry. The results showed that P2X6 receptors were expressed widely in the submucosal and myenteric plexuses. In the myenteric plexus, P2X6 receptors were expressed mainly in large size neurons which resembled Dogiel type II neurons. These P2X6 receptor-immunoreactive (ir) neurons also expressed calbindin 28K, calretinin and neuronal nuclei (NeuN), proteins that are markers of intrinsic sensory neurons. In the submucosal plexus, all the calbindin 28K, calretinin and NeuN-ir cells were immunoreactive for P2X6 receptors. P2X6 receptors do not form homomultimers, but rather heteromultimers with either P2X2 or P2X4 receptors. P2X4 receptors were not expressed in neurons, but were expressed in macrophages of the rat gastrointestinal tract. These data indicate that P2X6 receptors are mainly expressed on intrinsic sensory neurons and that ATP, via P2X6 receptors probably in heteromeric combination with P2X2 receptors, may be involved in regulating the physiological functions of these neurons.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Dr. Gillian E. Knight for her excellent editorial assistance. We also thank Roche Bioscience, Palo Alto, CA for kindly supplying P2X antisera and peptides. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of P. R. China (30670639 to Z. Xiang).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurobiology, Institute of Neuroscience, Neuroscience Research Centre of Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 200433, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

    Qiang Yu, Wei Guo, Jiqiang Fu, Cheng He & Zhenghua Xiang

  2. Department of Neurology, Neuroscience Research Centre of Changzheng Hospital, Second Military Medical University, 200433, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

    Zhengqing Zhao

  3. Department of Physiology, Second Military Medical University, 200433, Shanghai, People’s Republic of China

    Jihu Sun

  4. Autonomic Neuroscience Centre, Royal Free and University College Medical School, Rowland Hill Street, London, NW3 2PF, UK

    Geoffrey Burnstock

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  1. Qiang Yu
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  2. Zhengqing Zhao
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  3. Jihu Sun
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  4. Wei Guo
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  5. Jiqiang Fu
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  6. Geoffrey Burnstock
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  7. Cheng He
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  8. Zhenghua Xiang
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Correspondence to Zhenghua Xiang.

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Q. Yu and Z. Zhao contributed equally to this work.

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Yu, Q., Zhao, Z., Sun, J. et al. Expression of P2X6 receptors in the enteric nervous system of the rat gastrointestinal tract. Histochem Cell Biol 133, 177–188 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-009-0659-0

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