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Localization of the β(beta)3-adrenoceptor in the human gastrointestinal tract: an immunohistochemical study

  1. Anthony1,
  2. Schepelmann1,
  3. Guillaume1,
  4. Strosberg2,
  5. Dhillon1,
  6. Pounder1,
  7. Wakefield1

Article first published online: 25 DEC 2001

DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2036.1998.00345.x

Issue

Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics

Volume 12, Issue 6, pages 519–525, June 1998

Additional Information

How to Cite

Anthony, Schepelmann, Guillaume, Strosberg, Dhillon, Pounder and Wakefield (1998), Localization of the β(beta)3-adrenoceptor in the human gastrointestinal tract: an immunohistochemical study . Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 12: 519–525. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2036.1998.00345.x

Author Information

  1. 1

    Inflammatory Bowel Disease Study Group, University Departments of Histopathology and Medicine, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, London, UK,

  2. 2

    Institute Cochin de Genétique Moléculaire, Laboratoire d’Immuno-Pharmacologie Moléculaire, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique and Université Paris VII, France

* Anthony Department of Histopathology, Royal Free Hospital School of Medicine, Rowland Hill Street, London NW3 2PF, UK.

Publication History

  1. Issue published online: 25 DEC 2001
  2. Article first published online: 25 DEC 2001

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Background:

Activation of human and non-human colonic β(beta)3-adrenoceptors causes smooth muscle relaxation. β3-Adrenoceptor agonists protect against experimental indomethacin-induced jejunal ulceration. The mechanism of protection may involve spasmolytic/vasodilatory agonist activity. The precise localization of β3-adrenoceptors in the human gut is not known.

Aim:

To localize the β3-adrenoceptor within the human gastrointestinal tract using the immunohistochemical technique.

Methods:

Human β3-adrenoceptors were immuno-localized in paraffin sections of human oesophagus (OS), stomach (ST), duodenum (DU), ileum (IL), sigmoid colon (SC), rectum (R) and gall-bladder (GB) using the rabbit polyclonal antibody anti-P12. Staining was graded +++, ++, + and 0. Immunostaining of SC was also done with pre-incubation of anti-P12 with P12 peptide. Western blotting of anti-P12 on human and murine IL and SC isolated membrane proteins was performed.

Results:

All epithelia, vascular endothelial cells and ganglia scored 0. Smooth muscle of the vasculature, muscularis propria, muscularis mucosae and mucosa was graded, respectively, as follows; OS (+++, +++, +++,-), ST (++, +++, ++, ++), DU (++, +++, +++, +), IL (++, ++, ++, +), SC (+++, ++, ++, ++), R (++, ++, +, +), GB (+++, +++, –, 0). Pre-incubation of anti-P12 with P12 peptide almost abolished SC smooth muscle positivity. Western blot analysis using anti-P12 on human, but not murine, IL and SC membrane proteins revealed a single 55 kDa band, a size consistent with the predicted size of a partially glycosylated form of the human β3-adrenoceptor.

Conclusions:

This immunohistochemical study has localized the β3-adrenoceptor to vascular and non-vascular smooth muscle in the human gastrointestinal tract. These findings support a role for the β3-adrenoceptor in the control of blood flow and motility in the human gastrointestinal tract.

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