AIMS: The neuropeptide galanin is a widely distributed neurotransmitter/neuromodulator that regulates a variety of physiological processes and also participates in the regulation of stress responses. The aims of the present study were to investigate the expression of galanin receptors (GalR1, GalR2, GalR3) in the spinal cords in a murine model of multiple sclerosis, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) using qPCR analysis and to determine GalR1 cellular localization (oligodendrocytes, microglia, astrocytes, ependymal cells, and endothelial cells in the capillaries) by immunohistochemistry. METHODS: Twelve samples from the EAE group and 14 samples from the control group were analyzed. Spinal cords samples were obtained at the peak of the EAE disease. RESULTS: The GalR1 mRNA level was significantly decreased in the EAE mice compared with the controls (P=0.016), whereas the mRNA levels of GalR2 and GalR3 were not significantly different for the EAE and the control mice. No significant correlations were found between the severity of the EAE disease and the mRNA levels of GalR1, GalR2 and GalR3. Immunochemical detection of the GalR1 revealed its expression in the ependymal and endothelial cells. Additionally, a weak GalR1 immunoreactivity was occasionally detected in the oligodendrocytes. CONCLUSION: This study provides additional evidence of galanin involvement in EAE pathophysiology, but this has to be further investigated.

• MeSH
• encefalomyelitida autoimunitní experimentální * MeSH
• endoteliální buňky MeSH
• galanin * genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• messenger RNA metabolismus   MeSH
• mícha metabolismus   MeSH
• myši MeSH
• receptor galaninu typ 2 genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• receptory galaninové genetika   metabolismus   MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• myši MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH

The neuropeptide galanin is a widely distributed neurotransmitter/neuromodulator that regulates a variety of physiological processes and also participates in the regulation of stress responses. The effect of stress is dependent on the activity of the hypothalamic-adenohypophyseal-adrenal axis. Although the adenohypophysis is a crucial part of this axis, galanin peptides and their receptors have not yet been identified in this part of the pituitary after activation of the stress response. Since there are many controversies about the occurrence of individual galanin receptor subtypes in the adenohypophysis under basal conditions, we decided to verify their presence immunohistochemically, and we clearly demonstrated that the adenohypophysis expresses neuropeptides galanin, galanin-like peptide, and subtypes of galanin receptors GalR1, GalR2 and GalR3. The specificity of the reactions was confirmed by Western blots for galanin receptors. Using real-time qPCR we also demonstrated the presence of three GalR subtypes, with the highest expression of GalR2. In addition, we tested the effect of stress. We found that acute stress did not induce any changes in the GalR2 expression, but increased expression of GalR1 and decreased that of GalR3. We confirmed the involvement of the galanin system in the stress regulation in the adenohypophysis.

• MeSH
• adenohypofýza metabolismus   MeSH
• galanin metabolismus   MeSH
• imunohistochemie MeSH
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• messenger RNA metabolismus   MeSH
• receptor galaninu typ 1 metabolismus   MeSH
• receptor galaninu typ 2 metabolismus   MeSH
• receptor galaninu typ 3 metabolismus   MeSH
• receptory galaninové metabolismus   MeSH
• western blotting MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Check Tag
• krysa rodu rattus MeSH
• zvířata MeSH
• Publikační typ
• časopisecké články MeSH