title: Ascending contraction and descending relaxation in the distal colon of mice lacking interstitial cells of Cajal.
abstract: Recently an essential role of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) within myenteric plexus (ICC-MY) was suggested in ascending contraction and descending relaxation in the mouse ileum. The role of ICC in these neural reflexes was examined in the distal colonic segments prepared from the wild type and c-kit mutant, W/W(V) mice, in the present study. Localized distension of the segments from the wild type mice by using a small balloon resulted in ascending contraction and descending relaxation. In the segments from the mutant mice, localized distension also induced these neural reflexes similar to those observed in the wild type mice. Immunohistochemical examination demonstrated that ICC-MY and ICC present in muscle layers (ICC-IM) were severely disrupted in the mutant mouse, but only ICC, present within submucosal plexus (ICC-SMP), remained unchanged. In the small strips with ICC-SMP absent prepared from the mutant mouse, electrical field stimulation induced contraction or relaxation in the absence or presence of atropine, respectively. It was suggested that ICC have no important role in the ascending and descending neural reflexes in the mouse distal colon, this is in direct contrast to the role of ICC-MY in the ileum.
authors: Department of Veterinary Pharmacology, Graduate School of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, Osaka 599-8531, Japan.
authors: Yutaka
authors: Y
authors: Okishio
authors: Tadayoshi
authors: T
authors: Takeuchi
authors: Akikazu
authors: A
authors: Fujita
authors: Kiyotaka
authors: K
authors: Suenaga
authors: Kaori
authors: K
authors: Fujinami
authors: Satoru
authors: S
authors: Munakata
authors: Tadashi
authors: T
authors: Takewaki
authors: Fumiaki
authors: F
authors: Hata
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001285:Atropine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002404:Catheterization; D003106:Colon / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000187:drug effects; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D051379:Mice; D008817:Mice, Mutant Strains; D009154:Mutation; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000235:genetics; D012018:Reflex; D013368:Submucous Plexus / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001285:Atropine; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit