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Biomedical subjects

F Sundler

Publications and source records attributed to F Sundler.

At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources

Adrenergic and peptidergic innervation of cochlear blood vessels.

Guinea pig cochlear blood vessels were investigated with regard to their supply of adrenergic and peptidergic nerve fibers. Using the glyoxylic acid histofluorescence technique, numerous adrenergic fibers were seen around the labyrinthine artery, whereas the spiral modiolar artery contained only few such fibers. Immunocytochemistry revealed nerve fibers containing immunoreactive avian pancreatic polypeptide, vasoactive intestinal peptide, substance P, or gastrin-releasing peptide around the labyrinthine and spiral modiolar arteries. Adrenergic or peptidergic nerve fibers were not seen around the blood vessels of the stria vascularis. Upon removal of the superior cervical ganglion, adrenergic fibers disappeared and fibers displaying avian pancreatic polypeptide immunoreactivity were reduced in number. These data suggest co-occurrence of catecholamines and immunoreactive avian pancreatic polypeptide in a population of adrenergic nerves.

Adrenergic Fibers↗

Immunohistochemical localization of ornithine decarboxylase in the rat ovary.

The present report describes the immunocytochemical localization of ornithine decarboxylase in the prepubertal rat ovary after administration of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). Numerous ornithine decarboxylase immunoreactive cells appeared in the thecal layer as well as in the interstitial gland tissue after treatment with HCG. The granulosa cells, the ovum and the ovarian stroma were devoid of immunoreactive ornithine decarboxylase. In contrast to the ovary of HCG-treated rats, the ovary of prepubertal rats given the vehicle alone contained only a few weakly immunoreactive cells.

Animals↗

Somatostatin and VIP neurons in the retina of different species.

Neurons displaying somatostatin or vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) immunoreactivity were detected among the amacrine cells in the retina of baboon, cynomolgus monkey, squirrel monkey, cow, pig, cat, rabbit, guinea-pig, rat, mouse, frog and goldfish. Generally, immunoreactive cell bodies were located in the inner nuclear layer with processes ramifying in three more or less well-defined sublayers in the inner plexiform layer. The density of the sublayers and their location varied with the peptide and species investigated. In most cases there was a sublayer in the outermost part (Ramon y Cajal's sublamina 1) of the inner plexiform layer and this sublayer was usually the best developed. In some species a few somatostatin fibres were also detected in the outer plexiform layer, suggesting that some interplexiform cells contain somatostatin. In the baboon VIP was found exclusively in interstitial amacrine cells which have their cell bodies and processes entirely within the inner plexiform layer.

Animals↗

Neuronal substance P in the esophagus. Distribution and effects on motor activity.

Substance P-immunoreactive nerve fibres were fairly numerous in the lower esophagus of the guinea-pig and cat but few in the pig. They were particularly numerous in the myenteric and submucosal plexuses but could be detected also in the circular and longitudinal smooth muscle and in the muscularis mucosae. Only in the cat were SP-immunoreactive cell bodies detected, albeit in low number, in the myenteric plexus. Radioimmunoassay showed that the lower part of the cat esophagus contained approximately 10 times more immunoreactive SP than the upper part and that the muscle layer contained more SP than the mucosa. Motor effects of synthetic SP were studied on segments from circular smooth muscle of cat esophagus. SP contracted the smooth muscle and enhanced the response to electrical stimulation. These effects of SP could be blocked by the specific SP antagonist (D-Pro2, D-Trp7, 9)-SP. The contractile response to electrical stimulation could be blocked by the cholinergic muscarinic blocker atropine and the opiate receptor agonist leu-enkephalin but not by the SP antagonist or by adrenergic blockers. Hence, the results suggest that cholinergic neurons innervate the circular smooth muscle, and that opiate receptor agonists suppress transmission in these neurons. Neuronal SP in the esophagus may serve to enhance the contractile responses of esophageal smooth muscle.

Animals↗

The effect of antrectomy on the number of gastrin-immunoreactive cells in the canine duodenum.

The number of gastrin-immunoreactive cells in the duodenum was assessed by immunohistochemistry in 10 dogs that had been subjected to antrectomy with gastroduodenostomy (Billroth I), in 4 dogs in which an antrectomy with gastrojejunostomy (Billroth II) had been performed and in 4 unoperated controls. Gastrin-immunoreactive cells were found only in dogs that had been subjected to antrectomy ad modum Billroth I and then only within the first 30 mm of the duodenum, i.e. in the duodenal bulb. The gastrin cells occurred scattered on the villi, in the crypts and within the glands of Brunner. In 3 of the dogs patches of antral-type mucosa occurred within the first 10 mm of the duodenum. All dogs in which gastrin-immunoreactive cells were found have in a previous study been shown to have a markedly increased tissue concentration of gastrin in the proximal third of the duodenum compared to unoperated controls. In the dogs subjected to antrectomy ad modum Billroth II in which no cells were observed the level of gastrin in duodenal tissue has been found to be moderately elevated compared to that of control dogs. The results indicate that the increased gastrin concentration in the proximal third of the duodenum following antrectomy ad modum Billroth I corresponds to an increase in the number of gastrin-immunoreactive cells in the duodenal bulb.

Animals↗

Gastric acid response to pylorus ligation in rats: is gastrin or histamine involved?

1. Pylorus ligation stimulated the acid output in vagally intact rats. The serum gastrin concentration and the gastric mucosal histamine content were not affected. The gastric histidine decarboxylase activity was initially slightly elevated and then greatly reduced (12-20 hr after ligation).2. Pylorus ligation stimulated the acid output in chronically, but not in acutely, vagotomized rats. Chronic vagotomy raises the serum gastrin concentration, the gastric histamine content and histidine decarboxylase activity. The serum gastrin concentration was further raised by pylorus ligation. The histamine content was initially lowered but returned to preligation values after 20 hr. The histidine decarboxylase activity first decreased, but increased to very high levels 5-6 hr after ligation. Twelve hours after ligation it was lower than before ligation.3. Following pylorus ligation pentagastrin and histamine stimulated the acid output in vagally intact and in acutely vagotomized but not in chronically vagotomized rats. By contrast, pentagastrin raised the histidine decarboxylase activity in vagally intact and in chronically vagotomized, but not in acutely vagotomized rats.4. The two major populations of endocrine cells of the oxyntic gland area (ECL cells and A-like cells) are argyrophil, store histamine and are capable of taking up exogenous DOPA and of decarboxylating it to dopamine which is retained in the cytoplasm for several hours. As evidenced by light and fluorescence microscopy pylorus ligation did not affect their argyrophilia or their ability to produce and store dopamine.5. Pylorus ligation caused ultrastructural changes in the gastrin cells of the pyloric gland area and in the histamine-storing ECL and A-like cells of the oxyntic gland area. The two endocrine cell types in the oxyntic gland area were enlarged by pylorus ligation, more so after 16 hr than after 4 hr. The size of the gastrin cells seemed unaffected. In all three cell types pylorus ligation reduced the number of cytoplasmic granules. There was no increase in the Golgi area or in the endoplasmic reticulum in any of the endocrine cell types of the oxyntic gland area. It appears unlikely that the ultrastructural changes of the ECL and A-like cells reflect an increased rate of histamine mobilization.6. The acid response to pylorus ligation probably reflects neuronal reflex mechanisms exclusively. There is no evidence that gastrin or histamine released from gastric endocrine cells mediate the response.

Animals↗

Enteropathy of coeliac disease in adults: increased number of enterochromaffin cells the duodenal mucosa.

Twenty-nine adult patients with coeliac disease and 39 patients with a normal duodenal morphology were studied with respect to the 5-ht containing enterochromaffin cells. Their number in duodenal biopsies was assessed by fluorescence histochemistry and they were examined by immunohistochemistry for peptides known or believed to occur in enterochromaffin cells. Antisera used were raised against substance P, motilin, and leu-enkephalin. In addition, the concentration of 5-HT was determined chemically. In adult coeliac disease there was a significant increase in the number of duodenal enterochromaffin cells compared with the control group. The concentration of 5-HT in the duodenal mucosa was also greatly increased. Substance P was found in a minority population of enterochromaffin cells. These cells were very few and did not increase in number in coeliac disease. Motilin cells were distinct from enterochromaffin cells. No enkephalin immunoreactive cells were found in the biopsies.

Adult↗

Radioimmunoassay of pro-gamma-melanotropin, the amino-terminal fragment of proopiolipomelanocortin.

A RIA has been developed for natural porcine pro-gamma MSH, the 103-amino acid peptide that represents the amino-terminal part of proopiolipomelanocortin. Rabbits were immunized with the purified peptide polymerized with glutaraldehyde. The antiserum is directed against the amino-terminal end of the antigen and does not cross-react with corticotropin, beta-lipotropin, beta-endorphin, gamma 3MSH, or gamma 2MSH. The minimum detectable concentration is 0.15 ng/ml standard pro-gamma MSH (15 pg/tube). Pro-gamma MSH-like immunoreactivity was detected in plasma and extracts of the hypothalamus and pituitary of pigs. Gel chromatography of these extracts revealed at least three immunoreactive peaks in the anterior and neurointermediate lobes of the pituitary, whereas two immunoreactive peaks were found in extracts of the hypothalamus.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Duodenal somatostatin in coeliac disease.

The frequency of duodenal somatostatin cells was assessed and correlated to the number of enterocytes in patients with coeliac disease and in patients with a normal duodenal mucosa. The concentration of somatostatin in the duodenal mucosa was also determined. The number of duodenal somatostatin cells was increased in coeliac disease, whereas the somatostatin concentration did not differ significantly from that of the control patients.

Adolescent↗

Immunohistochemical evidence of peptide hormones in endocrine tumors of the rectum.

Twenty-five endocrine tumors of the rectum (rectal carcinoids) were examined immunohistochemically for various pancreatic and gut neurohormonal polypeptides. Twenty-one of the tumors were found to contain cells displaying pancreatic polypeptide (PP), glucagon, somatostatin, insulin, substance P, enkephalin or beta-endorphin immunoreactivity. At least 11 of the tumors contained more than one peptide hormone. In some of the tumors PP cells made up the major cell population, in others the glucagon cells constituted the majority. Only four of the tumors contained 5-hydroxytryptamine. Rectal endocrine tumors seem unique among gut endocrine tumors in that they may store immunoreactive enkephalin, beta-endorphin and even insulin. None of the patients displayed the carcinoid syndrome; symptoms were usually vague and uncharacteristic. In many cases the tumor was found at routine examination.

Adult↗

A substance P antagonist, [D-Pro2, D-Trp7,9]SP, inhibits inflammatory responses in the rabbit eye.

Neurogenic factors released by antidromic nerve stimulation are thought to be in part responsible for the vasodilation and breakdown of the blood-aqueous barrier that follows trauma to the eye. Substance P is one candidate for the mediation of the inflammatory response since it is thought to be a neurotransmitter in sensory afferents and since exogenous substance P is capable of eliciting a response characteristic of inflammation. In rabbits, intravitreal or topical application onto the eye of a specific substance P antagonist, [d-Pro2, D-Trp7,9]SP, inhibited not only the irritant effects of exogenous substance P but also the inflammatory response to a standardized trauma (infrared irradiation of the iris). These observations suggest that substance P, or a related peptide, is a neurogenic mediator of the inflammatory response in the eye.

Animals↗

Adrenergic innervation of pancreatic islets and modulation of insulin secretion by the sympatho-adrenal system.

Morphological changes in the adrenergic innervation of pancreatic islets after chemical sympathectomy by use of 6-hydroxydopamine and the influence of the sympatho-adrenal system on insulin secretion were investigated in the mouse and rat. Fluorescence histochemistry revealed a clear-cut reduction in the number of adrenergic nerve fibres in the pancreatic islets 2 days after administration of 6-hydroxydopamine; the reduction was more pronounced in the rat than in the mouse. In the rat, a partial regeneration was seen after 6 weeks. In the pancreas of the mouse, after administration of 6-hydroxydopamine, a severe damage of unmyelinated nerve fibres was revealed electron microscopically. However, no ultrastructural or immunohistochemical alterations could be demonstrated in the endocrine cells of the islets. 6-Hydroxydopamine induced a depression of basal plasma insulin concentrations in mice and an elevation in rats. Adrenalectomy depressed basal plasma insulin levels in mice. The alpha-adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine enhanced insulin secretion in normal mice. The secretory response of insulin to phentolamine was diminished by chemical sympathectomy and almost abolished by adrenalectomy or the combination of chemical sympathectomy and adrenalectomy. Thus, the effect of phentolamine is probably mediated by liberated catecholamines. It is concluded that basal insulin secretion is partially regulated by the sympatho-adrenal system and that species differences exist in this respect. In addition, the results suggest that endogenous catecholamines have the ability to promote insulin secretion.

Adrenal Cortex↗

Immunoreactive substance P in the chicken gut: distribution, development and possible functional significance.

The distribution and cellular localization of substance P in the chicken gut was studied by immunocytochemistry and immunochemistry. Substance P-containing nerve fibers are numerous in the gut wall. They occur in the smooth muscle layer as well as in the mucosa, where they are associated with blood vessels or surround the intestinal crypts. The fibers are particularly numerous in the myenteric and submucosal plexuses, where substance P-containing nerve-cell perikarya are also encountered. Substance P was found also in scattered endocrine cells of the small intestine, caeca and colon. Previously, bombesin-containing cells, which are numerous in the proventriculus, have been mistakenly identified as substance P cells due to cross-reactivity of certain antisera against substance P. Immunochemistry revealed the highest concentration of substance P differs slightly from that of synthetic bovine substance P, suggesting that chicken substance P differs structurally from mammalian substance P. Substance P-containing nerve fibers in the chicken gut develop slowly after hatching, apparently beginning in the duodenum; at approximately 20 weeks after hatching the distribution pattern is fully developed. A functional investigation was performed on the isolated chicken caecum to clarify the role of substance P in the contractile behavior of smooth muscle. Substance P contracted the caecum over a wide dose range; the contractile response was greater in 20 week-old chickens than in 4 and 10 week-old animals. Electrical field stimulation caused a relaxation of the caecum and a contraction upon cessation of stimulation. Neither of these responses, both of which are neurally mediated, were inhibited by adrenergic and cholinergic blockade. It is conceivable that the contractile response following electrical stimulation is caused by substance P released from nerve fibers in the smooth muscle.

Animals↗

Peptide-containing neurons intrinsic to the gut wall. An experimental study in the pig.

Nerve fibers containing substance P, VIP, enkephalin or somatostatin are numerous in the porcine gut wall. They are particularly numerous in the submucosal and myenteric plexuses where peptide-containing cell bodies are also observed. Peptide-containing nerve fibers occur also in the vagus nerves, suggesting that the gut receives and extrinsic supply of peptidergic nerves. The extrinsic contribution to the peptide-containing nerve supply of the gut wall has not yet been quantitatively assessed. In an attempt to clarify this question pigs were subjected to bilateral subdiaphragmatic vagotomy. Another group of animals was subjected to complete extrinsic denervation by autotransplantation of a jejunal segment. The pigs were killed at various time intervals after the operations; the longest time interval studied was four months. Following vagotomy the innervation pattern of the jejunum appeared completely unaffected. Following complete extrinsic denervation the adrenergic nerve fibers disappeared, while peptide-containing and acetylcholinesterase-positive nerve fibers remained apparently unaltered. This was confirmed chemically in the case of substance P. The motor activity of smooth muscle from the jejunum was studied in vitro. At low stimulation frequencies the smooth muscle from control jejunum responded by relaxation; upon cessation of stimulation a contraction occurred. With increasing stimulation frequencies the duration of the relaxation decreased; at high frequency stimulation only a contraction was recorded. In the autotransplant low frequency stimulation induced no or only a weak relaxation; high frequency stimulation induced contraction. After cholinergic and adrenergic blockade, the muscle responded with relaxation at all frequencies; the response was similar in innervated and denervated specimens. On the whole, the effects of extrinsic denervation on the motor activity of smooth muscle from porcine jejunum were minor, possibly reflecting the high degree of autonomy of the gut.

Animals↗