Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and peptide histidine methionine (PHM) in human eccrine sweat glands: demonstration of innervation, specific binding sites and presence in secretions.

Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and peptide histidine methionine (PHM) immunoreactivities have been detected in alcohol extracts of human axillary skin using sensitive and specific radioimmunoassays. VIP immunoreactivity (7.63 + 2.33 pmol/g, x + SE, n = 9) was more abundant than PHM immunoreactivity (3.86 + 0.56 pmol/g, x + SE, n = 9). Immunocytochemistry of sections of skin revealed a network of VIP/PHM immunoreactive nerve fibres around the perimeter of eccrine but not apocrine sweat glands. In vitro autoradiography of skin sections using 125I-labelled VIP and PHM, demonstrated binding sites on the membranes of eccrine gland secretory cells. The binding of each radiolabelled ligand was eliminated by the presence of a large molar excess of appropriate cold peptide but was unaffected when incubated with related peptide, indicating the presence of specific binding sites for both VIP and PHM. Radioimmunoassay of Sep-pak concentrated human sweat identified the presence of both VIP immunoreactivity (30.6 pmol/l) and PHM immunoreactivity (43.4 pmol/l). Reverse-phase HPLC analysis of axillary skin extracts and sweat, followed by radioimmunoassay of fractions, identified single resolved peaks of VIP and PHM immunoreactivity with identical retention times to synthetic standards. Eccrine sweat glands in human axillary skin have VIP and PHM peptidergic innervation and possess specific binding sites for each peptide which are both secreted to the surface of the skin.