Immunohistochemical localization of P2Y12 purinoceptors in the rat carotid body

The present study investigated the localization of the adenosine 5 ′-diphosphate (ADP)-selective P2Y12 purinoreceptors in the rat carotid body using multilabeling immunofluorescence. Punctate immunoreactive products for P2Y12 were distributed in chemoreceptive type I cells immunoreactive to vesicular nucleotide transporter (VNUT) or dopamine beta-hydroxylase, but not in S100B-immunoreactive glial-like type II cells. P2Y12 immunoreactivity was localized in cell clusters containing VNUT-immunoreactive type I cells surrounded by the perinuclear cytoplasm and cytoplasmic processes of type II cells immunoreactive for ectonucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolas e 2 (NTPDase2) and NTPDase3, which hydrolyze extracellular nucleotide tri- and/or di-phosphates.
Source: Autonomic Neuroscience: Basic and Clinical - Category: Neuroscience Authors: Source Type: research