title: Decreased numbers of cholecystokinin-immunoreactive nerve cells in the cerebral cortex of LEC rats with a hereditary hepatitis.
abstract: The distribution of CCK-immunoreactive cells was investigated by the indirect fluorescence method in the cerebral cortex of LEC (Long-Evans Cinnamon) rats which have recently been introduced as a model of jaundice and hepatic encephalopathy. Reduction of CCK-immunoreactive nerve cells was observed in the brains of LEC rats with stage III to V hepatic encephalopathy in comparison with the rats without hepatic encephalopathy. These observations were confirmed by counting the CCK-positive nerve cells at magnification x 125. 3 microscopic fields per animal were immunostained and CCK-immunoreactive nerve cells counted. The number of CCK-immunoreactive cells per field was 28.5 +/- 0.7 (mean +/- SEM, n = 5) in rats without hepatic encephalopathy, and 14.1 +/- 2.0 (n = 3) in rats with stage III to V hepatic encephalopathy. Thus, the number of CCK-immunoreactive nerve cells was significantly less in rats with stage III to V hepatic encephalopathy (p less than 0.05). A decrease in CCK-immunoreactive nerve cells was not observed in the rats with stage I or II hepatic encephalopathy. This study shows that there is a relationship between the severity of hepatic encephalopathy and the number of CCK-immunoreactive nerve cells in the cerebral cortex.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Internal Medicine, Iwate Medical University, Morioka, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Madarame
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tateishi
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Miura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mikawa
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Masuda
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hamaoka
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takeichi
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D002766:Cholecystokinin / Q000378:metabolism*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000473:pathology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology*; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D002766:Cholecystokinin