Expression of serotonin receptor 2c in rat type II pneumocytes

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) is a multifunctional amine with wide occurrence in both neural and non-neural tissues, including the lung. The diverse responses to 5-HT are elicited through activation of different 5-HT receptor subtypes. We report the expression and localization of 5-HT receptor 2c subtype (5-HT2c-R) in rat lungs using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, nonisotopic in situ hybridization (NISH), and immunohistochemistry. At the messenger RNA (mRNA) level, signal corresponding to approximately 430 base pairs was detected in whole-lung tissue extracts as well as in cultures of isolated alveolar type II cells from fetal and adult rat lung. Using antisense RNA probe for 5-HT2c-R, NISH showed strong positive signal in type II cells. The expression of mRNA signal differed between fetal and adult rat type II cells, with weak, predominantly perinuclear localization in the former and strong cytoplasmic localization in the latter. Immunohistochemistry, using specific monoclonal antibody against 5-HT2c-R, showed perinuclear localization in fetal type II cells; whereas in adult type II cells 5-HT2c-R immunoreactivity was confined mostly to the plasma membrane, as demonstrated by laser confocal microscopy. Identification of 5-HT2c-R expression in alveolar type II cells suggests an important role for this amine in modulating the function of these cells. The differences in cell domain localization between fetal and adult type II cells could indicate developmental regulation of 5-HT2c-R expression in the lung.