Expression patterns and quantitative assessment of neurochemical markers in the lung of the gray bichir, Polypterus senegalus (Cuvier, 1829)

Anatomical and functional studies of the autonomic innervation and the putative oxygen receptors-the neuroepithelial (NEC)-like cells of the bichirs are lacking. The present paper describes the distribution of both NEC-like cells and the polymorphous granular cells (PGCs) that populate the mucocilia...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Acta histochemica 2015-10, Vol.117 (8), p.738-746
Main Authors: Lauriano, Eugenia Rita, Icardo, Jose Manuel, Zaccone, Daniele, Kuciel, Michal, Satora, Leszek, Alesci, Alessio, Alfa, Maria, Zaccone, Giacomo
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animals
Antimicrobial Cationic Peptides - metabolism
Biomarkers - metabolism
Calbindins - metabolism
Confocal immunohistochemistry
Fish Proteins - metabolism
Fishes - metabolism
Gray bichir
Lung
Lung - metabolism
Nerve Growth Factors - metabolism
Neurochemical markers
Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I - metabolism
Pis-1
Serotonin - metabolism
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Summary:Anatomical and functional studies of the autonomic innervation and the putative oxygen receptors-the neuroepithelial (NEC)-like cells of the bichirs are lacking. The present paper describes the distribution of both NEC-like cells and the polymorphous granular cells (PGCs) that populate the mucociliated epithelium of the lung in the air breathing fish Polypterus senegalus. By using confocal immunohistochemistry we determined the coexpression of specific neurochemical markers. Colocalization studies showed that 5HT is coexpressed with calbindin and nNOS in the NEC-like cells and PGCs, and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) is coexpressed with nNOS in both the two types of cells. Distribution of neurotransmitters (5HT, NO) and neurochemical marker ChAT is also investigated in the lung muscle. The role of these transmitters may be the autonomic control of circulation and respiration. However, the importance of these signals for the respiratory responses in the species studied is still not known. The present study also shows for the first time the simultaneous occurrence of piscidin 1 and 5HT in the PGCs. The function of these cells being equivalent to ones found in fish gill subepithelial parenchyma, is still not known. Due to the importance of piscidin 1 in local immune defense, more research is useful to understand a possible interaction of PGCs with immune response in the bichir lung.
ISSN:0065-1281
1618-0372
DOI:10.1016/j.acthis.2015.08.007