Summary
The distribution and origins of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) in the gut and pancreas of the turkey were studied by radioimmunoassay of tissue extracts and by immunocytochemistry. Several antisera were used that vary in their specificity for different regions of porcine or chicken VIP. Radioimmunoassays using NH2-terminal specific antisera that react almost equally with porcine and chicken VIP's revealed significant amounts of immunoreactive VIP in extracts of pancreas, brain and all regions of the gastrointestinal tract from crop to colon. Highest concentrations (300pmol/g) were found in the colon muscle, and concentrations were generally low (< 20 pmol/g) in the mucosal layers of the small intestine. After ion exchange chromatography of extracts on CM-Sephadex three immunoreactive forms of VIP were separated corresponding to the three molecular forms previously found in mammalian gut extracts. In immunocytochemical studies nerve fibres were found throughout the gut, and in the pancreas. Immunoreactive nerve cell bodies were also identified in the submucous plexus throughout the gut, but were particularly prominent in the oesophagus and pancreas. It has previously been shown that VIP is a strong stimulant of the flow of pancreatic juice in birds whereas the structurally related hormone secretin, which is known to control the flow of pancreatic juice in mammals, is a weak stimulant. It is proposed that in birds VIP might regulate the pancreas, and other aspects of gut function, as a neurotransmitter or neurohormone.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bishop AE, Polak JM, Bloom SR, Pearse AGE (1978) A new universal technique for the immunocytochemical localization of peptidergic innervation. J Endocrinol 77:25.26P
Bryant MG, Bloom SR, Polak JM, Albuquerque RH, Modlin I, Pearse AGE (1976) Possible dual role for vasoactive intestinal peptide as gastrointestinal hormone and neurotransmitter substance. Lancet I, 991–993
Buffa R, Capella C, Solcia E, Frigerio B, Said SI (1977) Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) cells in the pancreas and gastrointestinal mucosa. Histochemistry 50:217–227
Coons AC (1956) Histochemistry with labelled antibody. Int Rev Cytol 5:1–23
Dimaline R, Dockray GJ (1978) Multiple immunoreactive forms of vasoactive intestinal peptide in human colonie mucosa. Gastroenterology 75:387–392
Dimaline R, Dockray GJ (1979) Potent stimulation of the avian exocrine pancreas by porcine and chicken vasoactive intestinal peptides. J Physiol 294:153–163
Dockray GJ (1973) Vasoactive intestinal peptide: Secretin-like action on the avian pancreas. Experientia 29:1510–1511
Hökfelt T, Elvin LG, Schultzberg M, Fuxe K, Said SI, Mutt V, Goldstein M (1977) Immunohistochemical evidence of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide-containing neurons and nerve fibres in sympathatetic ganglia. Neuroscience 2:885–896
Larsson LI, Fahrenkrug J, Schaffalitzky de Muckadell O, Sundler F, Håkanson R, Rehfeld JF (1976) Localization of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) to central and peripheral neurons. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 73:3197–3200
Larsson LI, Polak JM, Buffa R, Sundler F, Solcia E (1979) On the immunocytochemical localization of the vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP). J Histochem Cytochem 27:936–938
Mutt V, Said SI (1974) Structure of the porcine vasoactive intestinal octacosapeptide. The amino acid sequence. Use of kallikrein in its determination. Eur J Biochem 42:581–589
Nilsson A (1974) Isolation, amino acid composition and terminal amino acid residues of the vasoactive octacosapeptide from chicken intestine. Partial purification of chicken secretion. FEBS Letters 47:284–289
Nilsson A (1975) Structure of the vasoactive intestinal octacosapeptide from chicken intestine. The amino acid sequence. FEBS Letters 60:322–326
Polak JM, Pearse AGE, Garaud JC, Bloom SR (1974) Cellular localisation of a vasoactive intestinal peptide in the mammalian and avian gastrointestinal tract. Gut 15:720–724
Said S, Mutt V (1972) Isolation from porcine intestinal wall of a vasoactive octacosapeptide related to secretin and glucagon. Eur J Biochem 28:199–204
Said SI, Rosenberg RN (1976) Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide: Abundant immunoreactivity in neural cell lines and normal nervous tissue. Science 192:907–908
Sundler F, Alumets J, Håkanson R, Fahrenkrug J, Schaffalitzky de Muckadell OB (1978) Peptidergic (VIP) nerves in the pancreas. Histochemistry 55:173–176
Sundler F, Alumets J, Fahrenkrug J, Håkanson R, Schaffalitzky de Muckadell OB (1979) Cellular localization and ontogeny of immunoreactive Vasoactive Intestinal Polypeptide (VIP) in the Chicken Gut. Cell Tissue Res 196:193–201
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Vaillant, C., Dimaline, R. & Dockray, G.J. The distribution and cellular origin of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide in the avian gastrointestinal tract and pancreas. Cell Tissue Res. 211, 511–521 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00234405
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00234405