Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator expression in human spinal and sympathetic ganglia

Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is a chloride channel protein, and mutations of its gene cause cystic fibrosis. CFTR is known to be expressed in epithelial cells of the respiratory, digestive and reproductive tracts. It is also present in rat neurons and heart ganglion cells. In humans, it is expressed in the hypothalamus, but has not been identified in other parts of the human nervous system. In this study, immunohistochemistry, double-staining immunofluorescence, in situ hybridization, nested reverse transcription-PCR and relative quantification of real-time PCR analysis were performed on spinal and sympathetic ganglia from seven human autopsies with no known nervous system disease. CFTR protein was expressed in most ganglion cells with no obvious difference in the amounts of mRNA transcript in ganglia of different sites. We conclude that CFTR protein and its mRNA were extensively expressed at relatively constant levels in human spinal and sympathetic ganglion cells, and may be important in physiological and pathological conditions. Moreover, CFTR in ganglia may be associated with pathophysiological changes seen in cystic fibrosis.