Abstract

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is suggested to be the neurotransmitter of non-adrenergic and non-cholinergic (NANC) inhibitory nerves in the human airway. In this study, we investigated the procedures of VIP extraction from tissues because it was difficult to measure VIP immunoreactivity in lung parenchyma from guinea pigs when frozen tissues were used. With microwave treatment VIP immunoreactivity of the tracheas was 1.29±0.35 (mean±SD) ng/g wet weight and that of the extrapulmonary bronchi was 1.41±0.31 ng/g wet weight.VIP immunoreactivity of the tracheas and the extrapulmonary bronchi was increased significantly with the microwave treatment compared with the case when frozen tissues were used without the microwave treatment. Although VIP immunoreactivity of the lung extract was not detectable in 10 samples out of 13 samples when frozen tissues were used without the microwave treatment, it became possible to be detected in all samples with the microwave treatment. VIP immunoreactivity of the lung from 13 samples was 0.10±0.03 ng/g wet weight. Although VIP immunoreactivity was present more in the tracheas and the extrapulmonary bronchi than in the lungs, the absolute amount of VIP immunoreactivity in the lung parenchyma was considerable.

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