[Morphologic change and expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase in neovaginal mucosa of patients undergoing vaginal construction with sigmoid colon].
OBJECTIVE
To study the changes of the histology and expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the neovaginal mucosa of the patients undergoing vaginal construction with sigmoid colon.


METHODS
Biopsy samples of upper one-third and lower one-third of the artificial vagina were obtained from 14 patients who underwent vaginal construction with sigmoid colon 9 - 48 months before and samples of normal sigmoid colon were collected from another 14 patients during vaginal construction with sigmoid colon as control group. The pathological and ultrastructural changes were comparatively observed by light microscopy and electron microscopy. At the same time, the expression of nNOS was semiquantitatively evaluated with immunohistochemical method.


RESULTS
The upper one-third of the artificial vagina muscular layer of mucosa was hyperplastic and hypertrophic and the density of the submucosal nerve plexus was 3.6 +/- 1.5, significantly higher than that of the control group (1.7 +/- 0.8, P < 0.05). Squamous metaplasia was seen in the colonic mucosa from some 3 samples of lower one-third of the artificial vagina. Partial fusion of the intercellular tight junction, disappearance and fusion of mitochondrial cristae, and degranulation of rough endoplasmic reticulum could be seen in the vaginal colonic mucosa. Compared with the normal control, the expression of nNOS in the vaginal colonic mucosa was significantly decreased.


CONCLUSIONS
Morphologic changes occur nNOS expression decreases in the colonic mucosa of the artificial vagina.
Huang
Xiang-hua
XH
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China.
Gao
Zhi-min
ZM
Zhang
Lin
L
Wang
Zhen-hai
ZH
Zhu
Zhi-jie
ZJ
D012809:Colon, Sigmoid / Q000637:transplantation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D009092:Mucous Membrane / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D011184:Postoperative Period; D019651:Plastic Surgery Procedures / Q000379:methods; D014621:Vagina / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000601:surgery
D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I