Neuropeptide Y- and peptide YY-containing colonic cells increase with ageing in male rats.
Colonic mucosal cells are known to contain several neuropeptides. The distribution of various peptide-containing cells in the colon and their possible modulation by aging and diet are unknown. We quantitated various peptide-containing cells from male Lobund-Wistar rat colon at 2, 22, 28, 30 and 33 months of age using indirect immunohistochemical techniques for several peptides including: neuropeptide Y, peptide YY, somatostatin, and chromogranin A. Four diets, varying in total calories and fat content, were examined. Serum gastrin was quantified by RIA at 2 and 33 months. Only NPY-, PYY- and SOM-positive cells were found in the colon. The number per crypt of neuropeptide Y-positive (0.55 +/- 0.04 at 2 months vs 0.80 +/- 0.22 at 33 months, P = 0.015) and peptide YY-positive cells increased with age. Staining for somatostatin and chromogranin, a marker for all enterochromaffin (EC) cells, revealed no change with aging. Diet did not influence the numbers of any peptide-containing cell. Serum gastrin was not different between the groups. A specific increase in NPY- and PYY-positive cells occurs in the aged rat colon. The extent to which this change may be related to age-related colonic dysmotility seen in elderly humans is worthy of exploration.
Madison Veterans Administration Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center, The Department of Medicine, University of Wisconsin Medical School, USA.
M A
MA
Sweet
J A
JA
Ntambi
E A
EA
Gaumnitz
T D
TD
Pugh
R
R
Weindruch
C
C
Singaram
D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D053379:Chromogranin A; D002864:Chromogranins / Q000032:analysis; D003106:Colon / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000166:cytology; D008297:Male; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000032:analysis*; D019894:Peptide YY; D010455:Peptides / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013004:Somatostatin / Q000032:analysis
D053379:Chromogranin A; D002864:Chromogranins; D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D010455:Peptides; D019894:Peptide YY; D013004:Somatostatin