OBJECTIVE: To investigate the dynamic expression and significance of vasoactive intestinal peptide receptor 2 (VIPR2) on retina-choroid-clera in high myopia. METHODS: Twenty-one yellow chicks of 1 day old were used in the research. The right eyes were the experimental group, covered continuously for 1 week, 2 weeks and 4 weeks respectively. The left eyes were not covered as the normal control group. Both groups were detected diopter degrees using retinoscopic refraction, determinated eyeball axis using ophthalmology ultra-A, and investigated VIPR2 expression on retina-choroid-sclera in both groups at three stages by SP immunohistochemical staining. RESULTS: The experimental eyes changed from hypermetropia at pre-experiment to high myopia during the experiment stages, and the diopter degrees were deeper and eyeball axis was longer along with the period of being covered. Both groups had strong expression of VIPR2 on photoreceptor-outer segment of the retina and choroids. The expression was down-regulated with the time in both groups. Compared with the control group, VIPR2 expression of the experimental group was significantly up-regulated (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION Form deprivation could induce high myopia. The expression of VIPR2 existed on photoreceptor-outer segment of the retina and choroids. VIPR2 may play an important role on the formation and development of myopia.
Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Chickens ; Choroid ; metabolism ; Female ; Male ; Myopia ; etiology ; metabolism ; Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide, Type II ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Retina ; metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the effect of Jiaweisinisan (JWSNS), a traditional Chinese herbal medicinal recipe, on gastric mucosal ultrastructure and brain-gut axis in rat models of chronic psychological stress and elucidate the mechanism of JWSNS for ameliorating stress-induced gastrointestinal dysfunction.

METHODSSixty rats were randomly assigned into normal control group, model group, 3 JWSNS groups (high, moderate, and small doses), and omeprazole group (n=10). Rat models of chronic psychological stress were established by random stressful stimulations, and following the corresponding interventions, plasma adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) and cortisol (CORT) levels were detected using radioimmunoassay, and the mRNA expressions of gastrin receptor in the gastric tissue (GASR) and vasoactive intestinal peptide II receptor (VIPR2) in the jejunal tissue were examined using RT-PCR. Transmission electron microscopy was employed to examine the ultrastructural changes in the gastric mucosa tissue cells of the glandular stomach area and alterations in the intercellular junctions.

RESULTSElectron microscopy revealed obvious damages in gastric mucosal epithelial cell organelles and nuclei in the model rats. These damages were ameliorated after treatments with JWSNS and omeprazole. Compared with the model group, the 3 JWSNS groups and omeprazole group all showed significantly lowered plasma ACTH and CORT levels, increased gastrin receptor mRNA expression and decreased jejunal VIPR2 mRNA expression (P<0.05 or 0.01).

CONCLUSIONJWSNS can obviously ameliorate the pathologies of the gastric mucosa cells, regulate the state of brain-gut axis, and modulate the gastric gastrin receptor and jejunal VIPR2 mRNA expressions in rats with chronic psychological stress.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; blood ; Adrenocorticotropic Hormone ; blood ; Animals ; Drugs, Chinese Herbal ; pharmacology ; Gastric Mucosa ; metabolism ; pathology ; ultrastructure ; Hydrocortisone ; blood ; Jejunum ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Receptors, Bombesin ; metabolism ; Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide, Type II ; metabolism ; Stress, Psychological ; pathology

VPAC2 is a co-receptor of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide (PACAP) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and mediates multiple bio-functions. In order to construct the CHO line expressing VPAC2 stably, pcDNA-VPAC2 was used to transfect CHO cells. The positive clones were selected by G418 and the clone VPAC2-CHO with high sensitivity to PACAP38 was picked out by its ability to promoting the concentration of cAMP. RT-PCR, Western blot and Immunofluorescenece assay were used to identify the express of VPACS. Binding competition with VPAC2 agonist and the bioactivity of mediating the ligand to promote the concentration of cAMP showed that VPAC2 was expressed effectively in VPAC2-CHO. The results of Scatchard analysis revealed that VAPC2-CHO expressed a receptor density of (1.1 +/- 0.2) pmol/mg protein, respectively, with Kd values of (0.55 +/- 0.10) nmol/L for PACAP38 used as a tracer. The construction of CHO cells expressing VPAC2 specially and functionally lays a foundation not only for the further research on the characters and functions of VPAC2 but also for the screening and characterization of novel agonists of antagonists for VPAC2.
Animals ; Binding, Competitive ; CHO Cells ; Cell Membrane ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Cricetinae ; Cricetulus ; Cyclic AMP ; metabolism ; Gene Expression ; Genetic Vectors ; genetics ; Iodine Radioisotopes ; chemistry ; Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide ; chemistry ; metabolism ; pharmacology ; Receptors, Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide, Type II ; agonists ; antagonists & inhibitors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Transfection