Abstract
Abstract: :
Purpose: To determine the presence of muscarinic and α- and ß- adrenergic receptor subtypes in cultured epithelial cells from human conjunctiva. Methods: A conjunctival epithelial cell line (NHC) obtained in our laboratory was used. Cells in 62-65 passages were seeded onto glass coverslips and fixed with methanol for 10 min at -20ºC. The presence of neurotransmitter receptors was analyzed by indirect immunofluorescence with specific antibodies. Muscarinic (M1, M2, M3) and α- and ß- adrenergic (α1A-, α1B-, α1C-, α2A-, α2B-, α2C-, ß1-, ß2-, ß3-) receptor subtypes were studied. Negative controls included the omission of primary antibodies. Human conjunctiva and rodent ocular tissue sections were used as positive controls. Results: M2- and M3- muscarinic receptors were immunodetected in cytosol of NHC cells. M1- muscarinic receptor was not immunodetected. α1C- and α2A- and α2B-adrenergic receptor subtypes were also immunodetected in the cytosol of NHC cells. No immunoreactivity was found for α1A- , α1B- and α2C- adrenergic receptors. ß1- and ß2- adrenergic receptor subtypes were immunodetected, showing a predominant cytosolic distribution. ß3 adrenergic receptor was not immunodetected. Conclusion: NHC cell line from human conjunctiva express M2- and M3-muscarinic and α1C-, α2A-, α2B-, ß1- and ß2- adrenergic receptor subtypes. Therefore, NHC cells may be a useful in vitro system to study neural regulation of conjunctival cell functioning in some ocular surface diseases.
Keywords: 365 conjunctiva • 490 neurotransmitters/neurotransmitter systems • 441 innervation: neural regulation