Abstract
Ghrelin, a peptide hormone from the stomach, has been recently discovered to reduce sodium excretion from the kidney. Although the effects on the kidney suggest actions in the distal nephron, the sites of expression of ghrelin receptors have not been localised. In the present work we have used a mouse that expresses green fluorescent protein under the control of the ghrelin receptor promoter to locate sites of receptor expression in the kidney. Receptor expression was confined to the straight parts of the distal tubules and the thin limbs of the loops of Henle. No expression was detected in other structures, including the glomeruli, proximal tubules and collecting ducts. Ghrelin receptors were not found in extra-renal or intra-renal arteries, despite observations that ghrelin is a vasodilator. The distribution revealed by in situ hybridisation histochemistry was the same as that revealed by the reporter. In conclusion, ghrelin receptors have a restricted distribution in the kidney. The location in the straight parts of the distal tubules accords with observations that ghrelin promotes sodium retention.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Dr Kate Dziegielewska for the provision of anti-aquaporin 2 antibodies and Professor John Bertram for advice on the project and manuscript.
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This work utilised resources of the Australian Phenomics Network. It was supported by a grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia (grant number 1005811).
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Venables, G., Hunne, B., Bron, R. et al. Ghrelin receptors are expressed by distal tubules of the mouse kidney. Cell Tissue Res 346, 135–139 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-011-1240-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-011-1240-4