Regional distribution of the prostaglandin E2 receptor EP1 in the rat brain accumulation in.pdf

Published in final edited form as: Journal of Molecular Neuroscience, Volume 27(3): pp. 303-310 (2005) Regional distribution of the prostaglandin E2 receptor EP1 in the rat brain: accumulation in Purkinje cells of the cerebellum Eduardo Candelario-Jalil, Helen Slawik, Ingrid Ridelis, Anne Waschbisch, Ravi Shankar Akundi, Michael Hüll, Bernd L. Fiebich * Department of Psychiatry, University of Freiburg Medical School, Hauptstr. 5, D-79104 Freiburg, Germany *Corresponding author: Bernd L. Fiebich, Ph.D. Neurochemistry Research Group Department of Psychiatry University of Freiburg Medical School Hauptstrasse 5 D-79104 Freiburg, Germany Tel. (49) 761/270-6898 Fax (49) 761/270-6917 E-mail: bernd.fiebich@klinikum.uni-freiburg.de Running title: EP1 receptor expression in the rat brain Acknowledgements: ECJ was supported by a research fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (Germany). ABSTRACT Prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), is a major prostanoid produced by the activity of cyclooxygenases (COX) in response to various physiological and pathological stimuli. PGE2 exerts its effects by activating four specific E-type prostanoid receptors (EP1, EP2, EP3 and EP4). In the present study, we analyzed the expression of the PGE2 receptor EP1 (mRNA and protein) in different regions of the adult rat brain (hippocampus, hypothalamus, striatum, prefrontal cerebral cortex, parietal cortex, brain stem and cerebellum) using reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Western blotting and immunohistochemical methods. On a regional basis, levels of EP1 mRNA were the highest in parietal cortex and cerebellum. At the protein level, we found a very strong expression of EP1 in cerebellum as revealed by Western blotting experiments. Furthermore, the present study provides for the first time evidence that the EP1 receptor is highly expressed in the cerebellum, where the Purkinje cells displayed a very high immunolabeling