title: Interstitial cells of Cajal reduce in number in recto-sigmoid Hirschsprung's disease and total colonic aganglionosis.
abstract: Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) play a key role in regulating gastrointestinal tract motility. The pathophysiological basis of colonic aperistalsis in Hirschsprung's disease (HD) is still not fully understood. Many studies reported that decreased numbers or disrupted networks of ICCs were associated with HD. Little information is available on the distribution of different subtypes of ICCs in HD. The aim of this study was to determine the alterations in density of different subtypes of ICC in colonic specimens of patients with total colonic and recto-sigmoid HD. Full thickness colonic specimens were obtained from five children with total colonic aganglionosis (TCA), sixteen with recto-sigmoid HD and seven controls. ICCs were visualized in frozen sections by c-Kit (CD117) fluorescent staining. In the control colon, c-Kit positive ICCs formed a dense network surrounding the myenteric plexus (IC-MY), along the submucosal surface of the circular muscle layer (IC-SM) and in the circular and longitudinal muscle layer (IC-IM). In the aganglionic region of the colon of the patients affected by HD, the number of ICCs (especially IC-IM and IC-SM) was markedly reduced and IC-MY networks were disrupted. Nearly total lack of three subtypes of ICCs was observed in the TCA specimens. This study demonstrated the altered distribution of different subtypes of ICCs in the resected colon of patients with recto-sigmoid HD and TCA. These findings suggest that the reduction of each subtype of ICCs may play an important role in the etiology of HD.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Shandong Provincial Hospital of Shandong University, Jinan, Shandong Province, China.
authors.forename: Hefeng
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yuhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Rongde
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Xinguo
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Linuan
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Gu
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Yingmao
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gao
mesh_terms: D001683:Biological Clocks / Q000502:physiology; D002452:Cell Count; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003106:Colon / Q000294:innervation* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D012809:Colon, Sigmoid / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D017615:Enteric Nervous System / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006627:Hirschsprung Disease / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D008954:Models, Biological; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D012007:Rectum / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013368:Submucous Plexus / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit