Distribution of ghrelin-producing cells in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs at different ages |
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| Authors: | Francesca Vitari Alessia Di Giancamillo Daniela Deponti Valentina Carollo Cinzia Domeneghini |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Veterinary Sciences and Technology for Food Safety, Universit? degli Studi di Milano, Via Celoria 10, 20133 Milan, Italy;(2) Exercise and Sports Sciences, Universit? degli Studi di Milano, Via Kramer 4/A-20129, Milan, Italy;(3) Department of Veterinary Sciences and Technology for Food Safety, Universit? degli Studi di Milano, Via Trentacoste, 2, 20134 Milan, Italy |
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| Abstract: | Ghrelin is involved in many biological processes, ranging from appetite regulation and the release of growth hormone to the
regulation of gastrointestinal motility and secretion processes. Ghrelin expression is not homogenously distributed throughout
the gastrointestinal tract; expression is species-specific and can also depend on the animal age. This study was performed
to investigate ghrelin immunolocalization in the gastrointestinal tract of pigs at different ages: 1 day (birth), 28 days
(weaning), 2 months, 4 months, and 7 months (pre-puberty). Tissue samples were collected along the entire gastrointestinal
tract and were examined by immunohistochemistry and double-immunofluorescence. Histometry was performed by counting the number
of endocrine ghrelin immunopositive cells in the gastrointestinal mucosa. Ghrelin was found to be present along the swine
alimentary canal from the stomach to the caecum. In all regions of the alimentary canal of the animals studied, ghrelin-immunoreactive
(IR) cells co-localized with chromogranin-A and were therefore identified as endocrine cells. In the gastric fundus, ghrelin-immunoreactivity
was partially detected in co-localization with H-K-adenosine triphosphatase and pepsinogen. Ghrelin-IR endocrine cells were
abundant in the oxyntic mucosa but less present in the small intestine and rare in the large intestine. The cell density of
the ghrelin-IR endocrine cells was lowest in the oxyntic mucosa of 1-day-old pigs. We can conclude that gastric ghrelin expression
is not related merely to age but could also potentially be influenced by food intake. |
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