title: Change in the Interstitial Cells of Cajal and nNOS Positive Neuronal Cells with Aging in the Stomach of F344 Rats.
abstract: The gastric accommodation reflex is an important mechanism in gastric physiology. However, the aging-associated structural and functional changes in gastric relaxation have not yet been established. Thus, we evaluated the molecular changes of interstitial cell of Cajal (ICC) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and the function changes in the corpus of F344 rats at different ages (6-, 31-, 74-wk and 2-yr). The proportion of the c-Kit-positive area in the submucosal border (SMB) and myenteric plexus (MP) layer was significantly lower in the older rats, as indicated by immunohistochemistry. The density of the nNOS-positive immunoreactive area also decreased with age in the SMB, circular muscle (CM), and MP. Similarly, the percent of nNOS-positive neuronal cells per total neuronal cells and the proportion of nNOS immunoreactive area of MP also decreased in aged rats. In addition, the mRNA and protein expression of c-Kit and nNOS significantly decreased with age. Expression of stem cell factor (SCF) and the pan-neuronal marker PGP 9.5 mRNA was significantly lower in the older rats than in the younger rats. Barostat studies showed no difference depending on age. Instead, the change of volume was significantly decreased by L-NG63-nitroarginine methyl ester in the 2-yr-old rats compared with the 6-wk-old rats (P = 0.003). Taken together, the quantitative and molecular nNOS changes in the stomach might play a role in the decrease of gastric accommodation with age.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.|Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Hwan
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Kwon
authors.affiliation: Departments of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.|Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Nayoung
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Departments of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Ryoung Hee
authors.initials: RH
authors.lastname: Nam
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Ji Hyun
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Park
authors.affiliation: Departments of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Min
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Kyungpook National University Hospital, Daegu, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung Kook
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Departments of Pathology, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Seung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Digestive Disease Research Institute, Wonkwang University School of Medicine, Iksan, Korea.
authors.forename: Yong Sung
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Departments of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seongnam, Korea.|Department of Internal Medicine and Liver Research Institute, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Dong Ho
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D017615:Enteric Nervous System / Q000166:cytology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D056885:Interstitial Cells of Cajal / Q000166:cytology*; D008297:Male; D009197:Myenteric Plexus / Q000166:cytology; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester / Q000737:chemistry; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology*; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000378:metabolism*; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit / Q000378:metabolism; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D011916:Rats, Inbred F344; D019089:Stem Cell Factor / Q000378:metabolism; D013270:Stomach / Q000166:cytology*
chemical_list: D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019089:Stem Cell Factor; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; C496322:Nos1 protein, rat; D019009:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-kit; D019331:NG-Nitroarginine Methyl Ester