title: Effect of age on NADPH-diaphorase-containing myenteric neurones of rat ileum and proximal colon.
abstract: The effect of age on the distribution of NADPH-diaphorase-containing neurones was investigated in the myenteric plexus of ileum and proximal colon of embryonic day-19 rats, as well as in rats at postnatal day 4, 6 months and 26 months. The mean percentage of NADPH-diaphorase-stained neurones per ganglion was established using protein gene product 9.5(protein found in most if not all neurones)-immunostained neurones as 100%. The results revealed that there was a significant relative increase in NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurones with increasing age in the myenteric plexus of proximal colon with nearly all protein gene product 9.5-immunoreactive neurones staining for NADPH-diaphorase in 26-month-old rats. This was in marked contrast with the ileum, where no significant relative increase in NADPH-diaphorase-positive neurones was seen in aged rats. The implications of these findings in relation to programmed cell survival and cell death are discussed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, University College London, UK.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Belai
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cooper
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Burnstock
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D003106:Colon / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000294:innervation*; D007082:Ileum / Q000196:embryology / Q000254:growth & development / Q000294:innervation*; D008297:Male; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000196:embryology / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000254:growth & development; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase / Q000032:analysis*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D009252:NADPH Dehydrogenase