Volume 53 (7): 851-860, 2005 Copyright ©The Histochemical Society, Inc. Endocrine and Exocrine Secretion of Leptin by the Gastric Mucosa
Départements de Pathologie et Biologie Cellulaire (PGC,CR,DG,MB), de Biochimie (ED), et de Nutrition (EL), Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada Correspondence to: Dr. Moïse Bendayan, Département de Pathologie et Biologie Cellulaire, Université de Montréal, C.P. 6128, Succursale Centre Ville, Montréal, Québec, Canada H3C 3J7. E-mail: Moise.Bendayan{at}umontreal.ca
Leptin is a hormone that plays important roles in nutritional status and in obesity. By means of immunocytochemistry, two populations of leptin-secreting cells were found in the lower half of the gastric mucosa. One consists of numerous large cells located around the gastric pits, the Chief epithelial cells, whereas the second refers to much smaller cells, strongly stained, few in number, and scattered between the gastric pits, the endocrine cells. By double immunostaining, leptin and pepsinogen were colocalized in the Chief cells, whereas the endocrine cells were positive only for leptin. Immunoelectron microscopy showed that leptin is present along the rough endoplasmic reticulumGolgi-granules secretory pathways of the Chief and endocrine cells. On the other hand, leptin-receptor (long and short forms) immunolabelings, although absent in the gastric epithelial cell plasma membranes, were present in enterocytes at the level of their apical and basolateral membranes. Duodenal, jejunal, and ileal enterocytes displayed similar labelings for the leptin receptor. Thus, exocrine and endocrine secretions of leptin together with the presence of leptin receptors on enterocyte plasma membranes constitute a gastroenteric axis that coordinates the role played by leptin in the digestive tract. (J Histochem Cytochem 53:851860, 2005)
Key Words: leptin endocrine secretion exocrine secretion leptin receptors gastric mucosa intestine
IN THE 1950S, the Jackson Laboratories (Bar Harbor, ME) created a mouse that has the property to become obese. These mice were called the "Ob strain" (from Obese). Following experiments of parasymbiosis, it was concluded that these mice have a genetic abnormality that prevents the production of a plasma signal required for the regulation of fat storage (Hervey 1959
In addition to adipocytes, several other organs such as the stomach, placenta, and brain are able to synthesize leptin (Masuzaki et al. 1997
Like other hormones, leptin exerts its effect by binding to its receptor. Leptin receptor belongs to the type I cytokine receptor family and presents an amino acid sequence homology with the 130-kDa glycoprotein, the gp130 (Tartaglia et al. 1995
Various leptin receptor isoform mRNAs were identified in the gastric mucosa as well as in duodenum, jejunum, and ileum (Tartaglia et al. 1995 The aim of the present study is to review and to further identify and characterize exocrine and endocrine leptin-secreting cells in the gastric mucosa and to determine the precise localization of leptin receptors in the digestive tract. We now report that leptin is present in Chief cells as well as in typical endocrine cells of the gastric mucosa at the level of the fundus. Moreover, leptin receptors were revealed all along the small intestine, both at apical and basolateral membranes, but are absent in gastric epithelial cell membrane. This suggests that leptin plays a key role in a gastroenteric axis, triggered by the gastric mucosa to exert a paracrine action on the intestine: exocrine-secreted leptin should act on enterocyte apical membrane receptors whereas endocrine leptin from fundus and other sources must bind to enterocyte basolateral membrane receptors.
Biological Material Stomach, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum were sampled from 100 to 115 g Sprague-Dawley male rats and processed for biochemical and morphological studies. Rats were fasted for 18 hr and anesthetized with urethane prior to surgery. Gastric juice was collected during 30 min upon a carbachol (Sigma-Aldrich; Oakville, Canada) injection (12 mg/kg body weight) from a series of rats. Fasted rats had free access to water and were kept in individual cages. The animals were handled following the guidelines of the Canadian Council on Animal Care (CCAC).
Antibodies
Immunocytochemistry For double immunolabeling, after overnight incubation with rabbit anti-leptin antibody the sections were washed and incubated with the goat anti-pepsinogen antibody for 2 hr, washed with PBS, and then incubated with an anti-goat IgGrhodamine antibody and an anti-rabbit IgGFITC antibody. Finally, sections were washed before mounting in DABCO/glycerol (1%/50%). The sections were examined with a LEITZ DMRB fluorescence microscope and a LEICA DM-IRBE inverted confocal laser microscope (Leica; St-Laurent, Canada).
Electron Microscopy
Control Experiments
Evaluation
Characterization of Leptin-secreting Cells in the Gastric Mucosa To precisely localize leptin in the gastric mucosa, paraffin sections of the stomach were incubated with an antibody against leptin and revealed by a FITC-secondary antibody. At low magnification, cells positive for leptin were easily detected in the lower half of the gastric mucosa (Figure 1). Positive cells for leptin were present immediately after the cardia portion. At higher magnification, it became clear that we had two populations of cells. One type was located along the gastric glands and showed cytoplasmic staining for leptin, whereas the other type was found between the gastric glands and were much smaller in size but strongly stained. By double immunolabeling, leptin (Figure 2A) and pepsinogen (Figure 2B) were found colocalized in the same epithelial cells along the gastric glands. No cells were found positive for pepsinogen alone. On the other hand, the small leptin-positive cells located between the glands appeared negative for pepsinogen. These small cells displayed the typical morphology of endocrine cells, few in number and scattered throughout the mucosa (Figure 2C). Nuclei of all cells appeared negative for leptin, and controls carried out in parallel confirmed the specificity of the stainings.
At the electron microscope level, incubation of the ultra-thin sections of the gastric mucosa with an anti-leptin antibody confirmed the results obtained by light microscopy. Chief cells were heavily stained with gold particles (Figure 3). Labeling was restricted to the rough endoplasmic reticulum (RER), the Golgi apparatus, and the numerous secretory granules (Figure 3). The secretory granules were located at the apical region of the cells close to the lumen of the gastric glands. Mitochondria and nuclei were devoid of any specific labeling by gold particles. Quantitative evaluations confirmed the subjective observation and demonstrated the existence of an increasing gradient in intensities of labeling along the RERGolgi-granule secretory pathway (Table 1). They also ascertained the specificity of the labelings (Table 1). In addition, cells with the classical morphology of endocrine cells displayed numerous small secretory granules labeled by gold particles. RER and Golgi apparatus also displayed labeling by some gold particles. These cells were located within the connective tissue closely associated with blood capillaries (Figure 4). Double labeling for leptin and pepsinogen revealed a colocalization of both antigens in secretory granules, RER, and Golgi apparatus of the Chief cells in the gastric glands (Figure 5). No labeling for pepsinogen was detected in the small endocrine cells (Figure 2). These results indicate the presence of two types of leptin-secreting cells in the gastric mucosa, one of the exocrine type, the Chief cells, with granules oriented toward the gastric lumen and containing leptin and pepsinogen, and one of the endocrine type, located near blood capillaries containing only leptin.
Localization of Leptin Receptor in Stomach and Intestine Because leptin is secreted by the gastric mucosa into the gastric juice and thus vehiculated to the intestine, we further investigated the localization of leptin receptors at the level of luminal and basolateral membranes of gastric and intestinal cells. Labeling was carried out with an antibody directed against the extracellular domain of the leptin receptor. This antibody recognizes all isoforms (long and short, namely, OB-Ra, b, c, d, and f) of the leptin receptors. No labeling was found associated with the plasma membranes of gastric cells (results not shown). This observation was confirmed by electron microscopy (results not shown). On the other hand, duodenum, jejunum, and ileum showed a positive signal for leptin receptors (Figure 6). The brush border of the enterocytes displayed a strong staining, while a weaker one was present at the base of the cells (Figure 6). Ultrastructural studies with immunogold confirmed the presence of leptin receptors over enterocyte microvilli and basolateral membranes particularly at the level of the interdigitations (Figure 7 and Figure 8). Quantitation of gold particles did not reveal statistical differences in labeling densities between the three portions of the intestine (results not shown). These results indicate that leptin produced by the fundic mucosa can act primarily on the intestinal wall rather than on the stomach itself. This action may involve both the endocrine and the exocrine secretions of leptin.
The gastric mucosa has been shown to be involved in the regulation of food intake by producing hormones such as orexigenic ghrelin and anorexigenic leptin that act on the hypothalamus (Bado et al. 1998 Our results have shown that the stomach secretes leptin through both an exocrine and an endocrine pathway. Immunostaining for leptin has demonstrated its presence in epithelial cells located in the lower half of the gastric mucosa. Leptin-positive cells were present all along the fundic mucosa of the rat, immediately after the cardia portion. In the fundic mucosa, two leptin-containing cell types were identified. The first consists of cells located in the gastric glands, the Chief cells positive for both leptin and pepsinogen. Parietal (oxyntic) cells were negative for leptin. Interestingly, colocalization of leptin and pepsinogen in the same secretory granules of the Chief cells suggests a rapid secretion of leptin into the gastric lumen after the onset of food intake, which is in accordance with a role of leptin in the short-term control of food intake.
Ultrastructural studies showed significant labeling for leptin in the RER, increasing in the Golgi, and further in the secretory granules indicating that leptin is synthesized in situ and processed along the RERGolgi-granule-regulated secretory pathway. Levels of leptin are higher in the granules than in the Golgi and higher in the Golgi than in the RER, suggesting that a concentration and/or maturation of a proleptin occurs in the Golgi before its final storage into secretory granules. Indeed, immunoblots of the gastric mucosa extracts have revealed two bands for leptin, one at 16 kDa and the other at 19 kDa, indicating the existence of a proform of leptin (Bado et al. 1998
The second type of leptin-containing cells consists of small cells, few in number, and located between the gastric glands. The staining in these cells was more intense than that of Chief cells, revealing greater concentrations of leptin. By electron microscopy, these cells showed numerous small secretory granules containing leptin and displayed the morphological characteristics of endocrine cells. Similar observations were reported by Cinti et al. (2000)
Leptin needs to bind to its membrane receptor to exert its effect. The presence of leptin in the gastric juice suggests that leptin receptors should be located in the luminal cell membrane along the digestive tract. Similarly, the presence of endocrine cells and the rapid rise in postprandial plasma levels must imply a paracrine action of gastric leptin on the gastric and intestinal tissues. We were unable to detect leptin receptors on gastric cell membranes on either the apical or on the basolateral one, although others have reported leptin receptors on Chief cell apical membranes (Mix et al. 2000
On the other hand, leptin receptors were found in the intestinal enterocytes, particularly on their brush border and on their basolateral membrane interdigitations at the level of duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. No major differences in receptor density were detected between the three portions of the small intestine. Previous studies on the localization of leptin receptors in intestinal tissue are scarce (Lostao et al. 1998
It is interesting to compare pathways of synthesis and secretion of leptin by the gastric cells and the adipocytes. It appears that this hormone is secreted through a constitutive pathway by the white adipocytes and through a regulated pathway by the gastric Chief cells (Bado et al. 1998
Taken together, these observations highlight the existence of multiple secretions of leptin. Exocrine leptin is secreted into the gastric juice together with pepsinogen shortly after the beginning of food intake and acts on the luminal membrane of intestinal enterocytes to regulate their function. On the other hand, endocrine gastric secretion of leptin may be responsible for a paracrine action rapidly acting on leptin receptors located at the basolateral membranes of intestinal cells. These observations are summarized in Figure 9. Parallel to this, adipocyte leptin contributes to circulating levels that also act at long term on target tissues including enterocytes. Further studies will be needed to understand the respective roles of exocrine and endocrine secretions on the digestive tract in the postprandial state. It will also be interesting to determine the fate of leptin and of its binding protein within the intestinal mucosa as many peptides and proteins bound to chaperones have been shown to be internalized by enterocytes and to be delivered to the bloodstream (Bruneau et al. 2000
This work was supported by a grant from the Canadian Institutes for Health Research.
Received for publication January 13, 2005; accepted January 20, 2005
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