Interstitial cells of Cajal and nerves in mouse colon, studies of kit expression and neurochemical conding by confocal and electron microscopy

Interstitial cells of Cajal in human gut and gastrointestinal disease

“…By TEM, ICC-SMP are identified, single or in small bundles, at the submucosal aspect of the circular layer in all regions of the colon (Faussone-Pellegrini et al,; Rumessen, 1994Rumessen, , 1996Rumessen et al, 1993;Rumessen and Thuneberg, 1996;Thuneberg et al, 1995;Torihashi et al, 1999;Vanderwinden et al,1998c) . ICC-SMP have a myoïd ultrastructure (continuous basal lamina, frequent caveolae, dense bands, intermediate filaments, dense bodies).…”

“…Recently, a transgenic mouse model, expressing a reporter gene under the control of the Kit promoter (Bernex et al, 1996), was used to identify Kit expressing cells by TEM with excellent preservation of ultrastructural details. We have already learned from these studies that the correlation between Kit-expression and ICC-ultrastructure, although globally excellent, is not absolute (Vanderwinden et al, 1998c). Such studies may eventually lead to changes in the ultrastructural criteria for ICC, or to reclassification of some Kit-ir cells, currently regarded as putative ICC, as other cell types (Huizinga, 1998).…”