ISSN:
1460-9568
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Chromogranin/secretogranins are a family of acidic, soluble proteins with a widespread distribution in secretory vesicles of endocrine and nervous tissues. The effects of experimental stimuli of differing duration and intensity on chromogranin B and secretogranin II mRNA levels in relevant areas of the rat brain were examined by in situ hybridization histochemistry using 35S-labelled oligonucleotides. Effects of two ‘chronic stimulation’ paradigms were studied—the effect of 4 days of water or food deprivation on mRNA levels in the hypothalamus and the effect of unilateral cervical vagotomy on transcript levels in the dorsal vagal complex 1, 2 and 7 days after surgery. After 4 days of water deprivation secretogranin II mRNA was significantly increased in the supraoptic nucleus (366 ± 21% of control, P 〈 0.01), the magnocellular paraventricular nucleus (209 ± 20% of control, P 〈 0.01) and the parvocellular paraventricular nucleus (147 ± 6% of control, P 〈 0.01). Conversely, the level of secretogranin II mRNA in the supraoptic nucleus was decreased (61 ± 13% of control, P 〈 0.05) after 4 days of food deprivation. Seven days after unilateral cervical vagotomy, secretogranin II and chromogranin B mRNA levels were markedly decreased in the ipsilateral dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (25 ± 4 and 47 ± 8% of contralateral values respectively, P 〈 0.01). Rapid changes in chromogranin mRNA were also detected following shorter duration ‘acute stimulation’—in the hypothalamus after hypertonic saline injection, in the hippocampus after electrical stimulation-induced kindled seizures, and in the cerebral cortex after unilateral craniotomy. A large increase in secretogranin II mRNA was detected in the supraoptic nucleus (202 ± 25% of control, P 〈 0.01) and the magnocellular paraventricular nucleus (168 ± 29% of control, P 〈 0.05) 3 h after a single intraperitoneal injection of hypertonic (1.8 M) saline. Markedly increased levels of secretogranin II (125–160% of control) and chromogranin B (140–230% of control) mRNA were observed in granule cells of the dentate gyrus 0.5–2 h after amygdaloid stimulation-induced seizures. A moderate increase in secretogranin II mRNA (144 ± 11% of contralateral side, P 〈 0.01) was found in the underlying cerebral cortex 2.5 h after unilateral craniotomy. These results indicate that measurement of changes in chromogranin mRNA, particularly secretogranin II, is a useful means of assessing both rapid and long-lasting increases and decreases in neuronal activity and, in contrast to immediate early gene mRNA levels, may better reflect specific changes in neuronal secretory activity associated with transmitter/peptide release.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-9568.1996.tb01586.x
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