SOMATOSTATIN RECEPTOR ON THE AFFERENT NERVE-TERMINALS IN THE RAT HEPATOPORTAL AREA

To determine whether somatostatin receptor (SSR) actually exists on th e nerve terminals in the rat hepatoportal area, the area was immunosta ined by the labeled streptoavidin-biotin complex method using a monocl onal antibody against rat brain SSR. The SSR staining revealed many fi ber arborizations with terminal nodular swellings like the afferent ne rve endings in the neural body, which was located beneath the endothel ium of the large branches of the intrahepatic portal vein. The results indicate that SSR is expressed on the characteristic structure, addin g further evidence for our previous observation which showed the hepat ic vagal reception for intraportal somatostatin and the somatostatin-b inding neural body as a relevant structure.