Immunohistochemical study of CD44 immunopositive cells in the muscular layers of the gastrointestinal tract in adult guinea pigs and mice.
This study investigates whether CD44 immunopositive cells truly correspond to the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) in the muscular layers of the gastrointestinal tract in guinea pigs and Balb/c mice using immunohistochemistry with antibodies directed against CD44, Kit, vimentin and neurofilament 200 (NF200). All the sub-groups of ICCs were immunopositive for the anti-Kit antibody in the muscular layers of stomach, small intestine and colon in both cross sections and whole-mount preparations. Kit/CD44/vimentin triple immunolabeling showed that all the ICCs in different segments and muscular layers of the digestive tract were CD44, Kit and vimentin immunopositive. Kit/CD44/NF200 triple immunolabeling revealed that neither enteric nerves nor other major cells were CD44 immunopositive in the muscular layers, apart from the ICCs. CD44 and Kit were co-localized in the same group of cells, apart from a very small number (0.6%) of CD44 immunopositive cells that were not Kit immunopositive. Our results indicate that these CD44 immunopositive cells truly correspond to ICCs, thus immunolocalisation of CD44 can be used as a special marker, in addition to Kit, to identify ICCs in the digestive tract in adult guinea pigs and mice.
Yu
Bin
B
Department of Histology and Embryology, Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400038, China.
Han
Juan
J
He
Yang-tao
YT
Guo
Sheng
S
Li
Shi-feng
SF
Mei
Feng
F
D000818:Animals; D003106:Colon / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005753:Gastric Mucosa / Q000378:metabolism; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000166:cytology* / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008807:Mice, Inbred BALB C; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism; D013270:Stomach / Q000166:cytology / Q000276:immunology; D013552:Swine; D014746:Vimentin / Q000378:metabolism
D018960:Hyaluronan Receptors; D016900:Neurofilament Proteins; D014746:Vimentin; C051774:neurofilament protein H; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit