Original Article
Copyright ©2010 Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Apr 14, 2010; 16(14): 1735-1741
Published online Apr 14, 2010. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v16.i14.1735
Expression of nesfatin-1/NUCB2 in rodent digestive system
Ai-Qing Zhang, Xue-Liang Li, Chun-Ying Jiang, Lin Lin, Rui-Hua Shi, Jian-De Chen, Yutaka Oomura
Ai-Qing Zhang, Xue-Liang Li, Chun-Ying Jiang, Lin Lin, Rui-Hua Shi, Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China
Jian-De Chen, Division of Gastroenterology, University of Texas Medical Branch, 4.106 McCullough Building, Galveston, TX 77555-0574, United States
Yutaka Oomura, Department of Integrative Physiology, Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University, Fukuoka 812-8582, Japan
Author contributions: Zhang AQ and Jiang CY performed the experiments; Zhang AQ wrote the manuscript; Li XL designed the study and revised the manuscript; Lin L, Shi RH, Chen JD and Oomura Y were also involved in revising the manuscript and provided vital guidance to the study.
Supported by The Science and Technology Foundation of Health Department of Jiangsu Province, No. H200607, and Janssen Research Council China Research Fund (2008)
Correspondence to: Xue-Liang Li, MD, PhD, Associate Professor, Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 300 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu Province, China. ligakur@yahoo.com.cn
Telephone: +86-25-83718836 Fax: +86-25-83780711
Received: October 20, 2009
Revised: January 20, 2010
Accepted: January 27, 2010
Published online: April 14, 2010
Abstract

AIM: To observe the regional distributions and morphological features of nesfatin-1/nucleobindin-2 (NUCB2) immunoreactive (IR) cells in the rodent digestive system.

METHODS: Paraffin-embedded sections of seven organs (pancreas, stomach, duodenum, esophagus, liver, small intestine and colon) dissected from sprague-dawley (SD) rats and institute of Cancer Research (ICR) mice were prepared. The regional distributions of nesfatin-1/NUCB2 IR cells were observed by immunohistochemical staining. The morphological features of the nesfatin-1/NUCB2 IR cells were evaluated by hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining. Fresh tissues of the seven organs were prepared for Western blotting to analyze the relative protein levels of NUCB2 in each organ.

RESULTS: Immunohistochemical staining showed that the nesfatin-1/NUCB2 IR cells were localized in the central part of the pancreatic islets, the lower third and middle portion of the gastric mucosal gland, and the submucous layer of the duodenum in SD rats and ICR mice. HE staining revealed that the morphological features of nesfatin-1/NUCB2 IR cells were mainly islet cells in the pancreas, endocrine cells in the stomach, and Brunner’s glands in the duodenum. Western blotting revealed that NUCB2 protein expression was higher in the pancreas, stomach and duodenum than in the esophagus, liver, small intestine and colon (P = 0.000).

CONCLUSION: Nesfatin-1/NUCB2 IR cells are expressed in the pancreas, stomach and duodenum in rodents. These cells may play an important role in the physiological regulation of carbohydrate metabolism, gastrointestinal function and nutrient absorption.

Keywords: Nesfatin-1, Nucleobindin-2, Pancreas, Stomach, Duodenum, Brunner glands