Co-expression of P2X receptor subunits on rat nodose neurons that bind the isolectin GS-I-B4

Triple fluorescent histochemistry was used to describe the types of overlap in visceral sensory neurons (nodose ganglion) for the labeling of the isolectin B-4 from Griffonia simplicifolia type one (GS-I-B-4) and their immunoreactivity (IR) for two of the ATP receptor subunits (P2X(1/3) or P2X(2/3)). The vast majority of nodose neurons expressed GS-I-B-4-binding and most of these displayed P2X receptor IR. Most of the P2X-IR was co-expressed on these individual nodose neurons (P2X(1/)P2X(3) or P2X(2)/P2X(3)). A very small subpopulation of neurons that were GS-I-B-4 negative but P2X positive displayed a very high relative intensity of P2X(3)-IR. The functional role that these expression patterns play in visceral sensory processing is currently unclear. NeuroReport 12:2995-2997 (C) 2001 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.