title: [Morphological study on the role of ICC-like cells in detrusor neuro-modulation of rat urinary bladder].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the role of ICC-like cells in bladder neuromodulation in rat urinary bladder.
  
  
  METHODS
  14 SD rats and 1 guinea pig were sacrificed in this study. The ultra structural relationships among interstitial cells, nerves and detrusor smooth muscle cells (DSMCs) of urinary bladder were investigated by transmission electron microscopy (TEM). c-kit immunofluorescence was used to identify ICC-like cells in SD rat urinary bladder and the structural relationship between ICC-like cells and nerve terminals was studied by immunofluorescence (double-label).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Gap junction between ICC-like cells and DSMCs was confirmed by TEM. ICC-like cells were very close apposition with nerve terminals under TEM. ICC-like cells were identified to exist in sub-urothelium layer, along the longitude of smooth muscle bundles and among detrusor smooth muscle in SD rat urinary bladder by c-kit immunofluorescence. Double-labeled tissue with c-kit and PGP9.5 antibodies also showed that ICC-like cells were very close apposition with nerve terminals in SD rat bladder.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Morphological study indicated that ICC-like cells in rat urinary bladder may play an important role in detrusor neuromodulation. Further study on function will be helpful for elucidating the mechanism of bladder neuromodulation clearly.
authors.affiliation: Urological Research Institute of People's Liberation Army, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: FANG
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: YANG
authors.forename: Jin-hong
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: PAN
authors.forename: Wei-bing
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: LI
authors.forename: Wen-hao
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: SHEN
authors.forename: Long-kun
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: LI
authors.forename: Yong-quan
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: WANG
authors.forename: Jian-li
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: FENG
authors.forename: Li-li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: DING
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: SONG
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D005260:Female; D017629:Gap Junctions; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D008297:Male; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000294:innervation; D032389:Myocytes, Smooth Muscle / Q000166:cytology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D001743:Urinary Bladder / Q000166:cytology* / Q000294:innervation / Q000648:ultrastructure*