title: Disturbed gastrointestinal motility and decreased interstitial cells of Cajal in diabetic db/db mice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Diabetes mellitus (DM) often causes gastrointestinal dysmotility. Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC), which express c-kit receptor tyrosine kinase (KIT), are considered the pacemaker cells for gastrointestinal movement. The present study was designed to determine the role of ICC in the pathogenesis of gastroenteropathy in type 2 DM.
  
  
  METHODS
  We examined C57BL/KsJ-db/db mice as a model for type 2 DM. Gastrointestinal motility was evaluated by measuring gastric emptying, whole gut transit time, and isometric tension of the isolated small intestine. The area of KIT-positive cells in the gastrointestinal tract was examined by image analysis of fluorescent immunohistochemistry. The mRNA expression of KIT ligand, stem cell factor (SCF), in the gastrointestinal tract was quantified by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with 12-week-old db/+m control mice, diabetic db/db mice of the same age exhibited delayed gastric emptying, prolonged whole gut transit time, irregular frequency of isometric tension in the small intestine, smaller areas of KIT-positive cells in the antrum, small intestine, and colon, and lower mRNA expression levels of SCF in the small intestine and colon.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We demonstrated disturbed gastrointestinal motility in db/db mice with reduced areas of ICC and expression of SCF. Our results suggest the involvement of ICC in the gastroenteropathy of type 2 DM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine, Suita, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watabe
authors.forename: Masanori
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakahara
authors.forename: Hideharu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogiyama
authors.forename: Tatsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kiyohara
authors.forename: Shusaku
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tsutsui
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Tamura
authors.forename: Yasuhisa
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shinomura
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hayashi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000473:pathology*