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Expression of nerve growth factor in rat stomach. Implications for interactions between endothelial, neural and
A S Tarnawski1,2, A Ahluwalia3, M K Jones3,2
1Medical and Research Services, Veterans Affairs Long Beach Healthcare System (VALBHS), Long Beach, California, USA. atarnawski@yahoo.com.
Abstract:
This study was aimed to determine the expression and localization of nerve growth factor (NGF) in the gastric mucosa. Transmural gastric specimens were obtained from euthanized rats.
Studies:
1) expression of NGF and TrkA receptor by Western blotting; 2) histological evaluation of gastric wall architecture; 3) expression of NGF using immunostaining. Immunostaining showed strong and differential expression of NGF in neural elements of gastric myenteric and submucosal plexuses; in epithelial cells: mainly in chief and progenitor cells, in enterochromaffin-like (ECL) cells; and, in endothelial cells (ECs) lining blood vessels. We concluded that NGF expression in neural elements, epithelial cells and endothelial cells of blood vessels indicated a complex local interaction between neural, epithelial and endothelial cells that regulated gastric mucosal homeostasis and, likely, the protection against gastric injury and ulcer healing.
