| Abstract |
TFF3is a member of the trefoil factor family (TFF) predominantly secreted by mucous epithelia. Minute amounts are also expressed in the immune system and the brain. In the latter, particularly the hypothalamo-pituitary axis has been investigated in detail in the past. Functionally, cerebralTFF3has been reported to be involved in several processes such as fear, depression, learning and object recognition, and opiate addiction. Furthermore,TFF3has been linked with neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric disorders (e.g., Alzheimer's disease,schizophrenia和酒精中毒)。在这里,使用immunohistochemistry, a systematic survey of theTFF3localization in the adult human brain is presented focusing on extrahypothalamic brain areas. In addition, the distribution ofTFF3in the developing human brain is described. Taken together, neurons were identified as the predominant cell type to expressTFF3, but to different extent;TFF3was particularly enriched in various midbrain and brain stem nuclei. Besides,TFF3immunostaining staining was observed in oligodendroglia and the choroid plexus epithelium. The wide cerebral distribution should help to explain its multiple effects in the CNS. |