Substance P and neurokinin A in the cat carotid body: localization, exogenous effects and changes in content in response to arterial pO2.

In the present work we studied the occurrence of substance P (SP) and neurokinin A (NKA) in the carotid bodies of cats by means of immunocytochemistry and radioimmunoassay (RIA). We also compared the exogenous effects of SP and NKA on carotid body sensory discharge. SP- and NKA-like immunoreactivities (SP-LI; NKA-LI) were seen in many glomus cells and in a sparse plexus of fine fibers. The SP-LI containing glomus cells and fibers also exhibited NKA-LI, suggesting that both these tachykinins coexist in the carotid body. Chemoreceptor discharge increased both by SP and NKA in a dose-dependent manner. The peak excitation produced by SP and NKA was the same when the effects were compared on an equimolar basis. The tachykinin content of the carotid bodies varied with changes in arterial pO2. During normoxia, SP and NKA levels were 57 +/- 8 and 85 +/- 14 fmol/mg, respectively. When the animals were exposed for 1 h to 100% O2, SP content was unchanged (51 +/- 4 fmol/mg), whereas NKA levels were significantly lower than during normoxia (29 +/- 3 fmol/mg, P less than 0.01). Following 1 h of hypoxia, SP content of the carotid body was 146 +/- 20 fmol/mg, a value higher than that obtained during normoxia and hyperoxia. NKA levels, on the other hand, were not significantly different from normoxic values. These results indicate that the cat carotid body (1) contains both SP and NKA, (2) both peptides augment neural discharge of the carotid body and (3) their levels in the carotid body are substantially altered by arterial oxygen, the natural stimulus to the chemoreceptors.