Localization of prostaglandin G/H synthase gene expression in rat brain by in situ hybridization.
Prostaglandin G/H synthase (PGH synthase; EC 1.14.99.1, cyclooxygenase) is a key enzyme in prostanoid biosynthesis. The cellular sites for PGH synthase gene expression have not been identified in any tissue. We have mapped the expression of PGH synthase in rat brain by in situ hybridization and have found large quantities of PGH synthase mRNA in the granular cell layer of the cerebellum, pyramidal layer of the hippocampus and granular cells of the dentate gyrus, moderate levels in pyramidal cells of the piriform cortex, cellular layers of the cerebral cortex, central nucleus of the amygdala, paraventricular, supraoptic and suprachiasmatic nuclei and cells of pituitary body, and low levels in most other regions of the rat brain. These results may provide a basis for an understanding of possible roles of PGH synthase in the central nervous system of adult rats.