The Journal of neuroscience : the official journal of the Society for Neuroscience
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The existence of bombesin/gastrin-releasing peptide-like immunoreactivity (BN-GRP-LI) in rat sensory ganglia and spinal cord was confirmed using immunocytochemistry, gel filtration chromatography, and high performance liquid chromatography combined with radioimmunoassay. Immunohistochemical studies showed that in the spinal sensory ganglia of the rat about 5% of the neurons exhibited BN-GRP-LI, whereas about 20% of the neurons exhibited substance P-like immunoreactivity (SP-LI). The two immunoreactivities were found in different cells, but both were located in small ganglion cells. ⋯ In extracts prepared from spinal ganglia, two molecular weight forms of BN-GRP-LI were found using gel filtration chromatography. The high molecular weight form coeluted with porcine GRP and the low molecular weight form was smaller than bombesin. The low molecular weight BN-GRP-LI extracted from spinal cord was more hydrophilic than bombesin or ranatensin.