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Distinctive expression and cellular distribution of dopamine receptors in the pancreatic islets of rats

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Abstract

Activation of the dopamine (DA) D2 receptor inhibits glucose-stimulated insulin secretion in isolated rodent islets in vitro; however, no information is available regarding the cellular localization of DA receptors (DRs, including D1-D5 receptors) in pancreatic islets in situ. We investigate the protein expression and cellular localization of five types of DRs in pancreatic islets by means of Western blotting and double-labeling immunofluorescence in both normal control and alloxan-induced type 1 diabetes model (T1DM) rats. In control rats, D1 immunoreactivity (-IR) was distributed in the core of the islet and co-localized with insulin-IR, D2-IR was peripherally distributed and found only in somatostatin-immunoreactive cells and D5-IR was co-localized with glucagon-IR and pancreatic polypeptide-IR. No IR for either the D3 or D4 receptor was observed in rat islets. The protein level of the D1 receptor was reduced in T1DM rats (D1/D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase [GAPDH], 0.63 ± 0.05 in control rats compared with 0.16 ± 0.03 in T1DM rats, n = 8, P < 0.05) but no significant alteration was detected in the protein expression of either the D2 receptor (D2/GAPDH, 0.48 ± 0.04 compared with 0.43 ± 0.04, n = 8, P = 0.42) or the D5 receptor (D5/GAPDH, 0.50 ± 0.04 compared with 0.47 ± 0.04, n = 8, P = 0.58). The present study is the first clear demonstration of the protein expression and cellular localization of the D1, D2 and D5 receptors in rat pancreatic islets and provides crucial morphological evidence for further investigations of the underlying mechanism regarding the DA regulation of pancreatic endocrine function.

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Acknowledgement

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (81170346 and 81370482), Beijing Natural Science Foundation (7132017 and 7121003) and The Project of Construction of Innovative Teams and Teacher Career Development for Universities and Colleges under Beijing Municipality (IDHT20140514). All the authors have read the journal's policy on conflicts of interest and have none to declare.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology and Pathophysiology, School of Basic Medicinal Science, Capital Medical University, No.10 Xitoutiao, You An Men, Beijing, 100069, China

    Ye Chen, Feng Hong, Hui Chen, Rui-Fang Fan, Xiao-Li Zhang, Yue Zhang & Jin-Xia Zhu

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  1. Ye Chen
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  2. Feng Hong
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  3. Hui Chen
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  4. Rui-Fang Fan
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  5. Xiao-Li Zhang
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  7. Jin-Xia Zhu
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Correspondence to Jin-Xia Zhu.

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Ye Chen and Feng Hong contributed equally to this work.

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Fig. S1

Cross-reactivity between secondary antibodies. a-c. The primary antibodies for the D1, D2 and D5 receptors isolated from the rabbit were treated with DAR (anti-rabbit secondary antibodies isolated from the donkey). d-f. The primary antibodies for the D1, D2 and D5 receptors isolated from the rabbit were treated with DAM (anti-mouse secondary antibodies isolated from the donkey). g-i. The primary antibodies for the D1, D2 and D5 receptors isolated from the rabbit were treated with GAR (anti-rabbit secondary antibodies isolated from the goat). j-l. The primary antibodies for the D1, D2 and D5 receptors isolated from the rabbit were treated with GAM (anti-mouse secondary antibodies isolated from the goat). Nuclei appear blue (DAPI staining). Scale bar: 100 μm (JPEG 336 kb)

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Chen, Y., Hong, F., Chen, H. et al. Distinctive expression and cellular distribution of dopamine receptors in the pancreatic islets of rats. Cell Tissue Res 357, 597–606 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-014-1894-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-014-1894-9

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