title: Neurocalcin-alpha immunoreactivity in the enteric nervous system of young and aged rats.
abstract: The distribution of the calcium binding protein neurocalcin a has been examined in the enteric nervous system of young adult (3 months) and aged (24+ months) male rats by immunofluorescence. Neurocalcin-immunoreactive (NC-ir) neurons were observed in the submucous and myenteric plexuses throughout the gastrointestinal tract from the oesophagus to the distal large intestine. NC-ir nerve terminals were also seen on NC-ir and NC-negative neurons. Semiquantitative estimates revealed fewer NC-ir neurons in the submucous plexus than in the myenteric plexus. The greatest occurrence of NC-ir neurons was in the small and large intestine. NC-ir axons were seen in the mucosa and also in between the ganglia of the myenteric plexus. In the aged rats, there were no discernible changes in the numbers of NC-ir neurons in th e oesophagus and stomach, with an increase in the pylorus and slight decreases in the small and large intestines. No decrease in NC-ir was observed in the distal large intestine. NC-ir neurons never contained lipofuscin age pigment and many enteric neuro ns devoid of NC-ir contained age pigment. Like other previously investigated calcium-binding proteins in enteric neurons, the distribution of NC shows much variability from one part of the intestine to another. The observed slight decreases in the number of NC-ir enteric neurons in aged rats may compromise the regulation of calcium in these neurons.
authors.affiliation: School of Biosciences, University of Wales Cardiff, Cardiff, UK.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Corns
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hidaka
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Santer
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D017615:Enteric Nervous System / Q000737:chemistry*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000737:chemistry; D007420:Intestine, Large / Q000737:chemistry; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000737:chemistry; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D051596:Neurocalcin; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D044169:Receptors, Calcium-Sensing; D013270:Stomach / Q000737:chemistry; D014018:Tissue Distribution
chemical_list: D002135:Calcium-Binding Proteins; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D051596:Neurocalcin; D044169:Receptors, Calcium-Sensing; C496690:Vsnl1 protein, rat