Peptidergic innervation irregularities in Hirschsprung's disease. Immunohistochemistry--radioimmunoassay.
The distribution of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP)-containing nerves and the contents of both VIP and substance P (S-P) in the intestines from 12 children with Hirschsprung's disease were examined using immunohistochemical methods and radioimmunoassay. VIP-containing nerve fibers were markedly decreased in number in the true muscle coats of aganglionic segments, while extrinsic hypertrophic nerve bundles in these segments showed positive VIP-immunoreactivities. This finding suggests the existence of extrinsic origins of VIP-containing nerves in the human gut. The contents of VIP were 44.5 +/- 8.2 in aganglionic segments and 130 +/- 17.1 pg/mg wet tissue weight in normoganglionic segments. The contents of S-P were 0.42 +/- 0.18 in aganglionic segments and 6.38 +/- 2.3 pg/mg wet tissue weight in normoganglionic segments. Both VIP and S-P contents in aganglionic segments were significantly reduced as assessed by the use of radioimmunoassay (p less than 0.001 and p less than 0.05). These abnormal peptidergic patterns of innervation might relate to the non-peristaltic state in Hirschsprung's disease.
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D006627:Hirschsprung Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D006651:Histocytochemistry; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007422:Intestines / Q000294:innervation* / Q000473:pathology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000032:analysis; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D013373:Substance P / Q000032:analysis*; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000032:analysis*
D013373:Substance P; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide