Secretin facilitates GABA transmission in the cerebellum

J Neurosci. 2001 Sep 15;21(18):7063-8. doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.21-18-07063.2001.

Abstract

Secretin was the first hormone discovered in human history, and yet, its function as a neuropeptide has been overlooked in the past. The recent discovery of the potential use of secretin in treating autistic patients, together with the conflicting reports on its effectiveness, urges an in-depth investigation of this issue. We show here that in the rat cerebellar cortex, mRNAs encoding secretin are localized in the Purkinje cells, whereas those of its receptor are found in both Purkinje cells and GABAergic interneurons. Immunoreactivity for secretin is localized in the soma and dendrites of Purkinje cells. In addition, secretin facilitates evoked, spontaneous, and miniature IPSCs recorded from Purkinje cells. We propose that secretin is released from the somatodendritic region of Purkinje cells and serves as a retrograde messenger modulating GABAergic afferent activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adenylyl Cyclases / drug effects
  • Adenylyl Cyclases / metabolism
  • Animals
  • Blotting, Northern
  • Cerebellum / cytology
  • Cerebellum / drug effects
  • Cerebellum / metabolism*
  • Dendrites / metabolism
  • Enzyme Activators / pharmacology
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / pharmacology
  • In Situ Hybridization
  • Interneurons / drug effects
  • Interneurons / metabolism
  • Membrane Potentials / drug effects
  • Membrane Potentials / physiology
  • Neural Inhibition / drug effects
  • Neural Inhibition / physiology
  • Parvalbumins / biosynthesis
  • Parvalbumins / genetics
  • Patch-Clamp Techniques
  • Purkinje Cells / drug effects
  • Purkinje Cells / metabolism
  • RNA, Messenger / analysis
  • RNA, Messenger / biosynthesis
  • Rats
  • Rats, Sprague-Dawley
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Receptors, Gastrointestinal Hormone / genetics
  • Receptors, Gastrointestinal Hormone / metabolism
  • Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction
  • Secretin / genetics
  • Secretin / metabolism*
  • Secretin / pharmacology
  • Synaptic Transmission / drug effects
  • Synaptic Transmission / physiology*
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid / metabolism*

Substances

  • Enzyme Activators
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Parvalbumins
  • RNA, Messenger
  • Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled
  • Receptors, Gastrointestinal Hormone
  • secretin receptor
  • Secretin
  • gamma-Aminobutyric Acid
  • Adenylyl Cyclases