NK-1R and NK-2R gene and protein expression in Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC)

Gender‐related differential effect of tachykinin NK2 receptor‐mediated visceral hyperalgesia in guinea pig colon

“…In the present experiments, higher levels of NKA and SP following stimulation by KCl were released by enteric neurons from samples of male guinea pig colon mucosa, indicating that nerve terminals and neurons of this tissue layer in males are able to release higher levels of tachykinins than the remainder. Indeed, NK 2 receptors have been previously identified in colon muscularis mucosae, of both human and guinea pig (Gates et al, 1988;Renzi et al, 2000;Warner et al, 2000;Kamikawa et al, 2002), and NKA appears as one of the more important spasmogens when compared with other neurotransmitters, such as ACh or 5-HT (Kamikawa et al, 2002). Interestingly, in a comparative study performed in colonic mucosal tissue from IBS male and female patients and controls, the expression of the mRNA encoding for SP and NKA formation (TAC1) and for the tachykinin NK 1 and NK 2 receptors (TACR1 and TACR2, respectively) was investigated, and an higher expression of tachykinin receptors was demonstrated in control, compared with female IBS patients, whereas no differences were observed in men (Chang et al, 2012).…”

Substance P at the nexus of mind and body in chronic inflammation and affective disorders.

“…Cells of the enteric nervous system and colon (including connective tissue, mucosa, and epithelium) display the most elevated levels of NK-1r and NK-1r mRNA expression. In addition to these cells, increased numbers of immune cells expressing NK-1r in gut tissue have been observed in patients with active IBD as well (Goode et al, 2000;Renzi, Pellegrini, Tonelli, Surrenti, & Calabro, 2000). Similarly, SP expression itself is aberrant in these conditions.…”