Morphology of enkephalin-immunoreactive myenteric neurons in the human gut

Brehmer, Axel; Lindig, Tobias; Schrödl, Falk; Neuhuber, Winfried; Ditterich, Daniel; Rexer, Martin; Rupprecht, Holger

doi:10.1007/s00418-005-0757-6

Cited by 24 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…The following conclusions may be drawn from the above presented results and interpretations: first, dendrites with lamellar endings, demonstrated by NF immunohistochemistry and occasionally present both in some stubby (Brehmer et al 2005) but also in some spiny neurons (this study), are not a type classifying feature for human myenteric neurons. This has already been noted by Stach et al (2000) based on silver impregnated specimens.…”

Section: Proportions Of Nnos-and Vip-immunoreactive Neurons In the Humentioning

confidence: 49%

“…This has already been noted by Stach et al (2000) based on silver impregnated specimens. Second, a number of neurons depicted and classified as type I neurons by Dogiel (1899) resemble our spiny neurons, whereas others resemble stubby neurons which we found to differ both morphologically and chemically (Brehmer et al 2005). It is essential to designate different structures with different names.…”

Section: Proportions Of Nnos-and Vip-immunoreactive Neurons In the Humentioning

confidence: 96%

“…For this purpose, we used a digital camera system (Spot-RT-realtime, Visitron Systems, Munich, Germany) attached to a Leica Aristoplan microscope and SPOT advanced software (Version 3.5.6 for Windows, Diagnostic Instruments, USA). Of these 180 neurons, we recorded shapes, axonal projections (within the wholemounts in which the oral-anal direction was known, Table 1) and measured their somal and dendritic field areas (by outlining the endings of all primary dendrites) as well as their major and minor diameters (Brehmer et al 2005). Additionally, somal areas of 20 pseudouni-or multiaxonal type II neurons (Brehmer et al 2004b) were also measured and statistically compared with those of VIP/nNOS-coreactive, spiny neurons using paired, two-sided t-test.…”

Section: Quantification Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Morphology of VIP/nNOS-immunoreactive myenteric neurons in the human gut

Brehmer

Schrödl

Neuhuber

2005

Histochem Cell Biol

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In this study, we characterized human myenteric neurons co-immunoreactive for neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) by their morphology and their proportion as related to the putative entire myenteric neuronal population. Nine wholemounts (small and large intestinal samples) from nine patients were triple-stained for VIP, neurofilaments (NF) and nNOS. Most neurons immunoreactive for all three markers displayed radially emanating, partly branching dendrites with spiny endings. These neurons were called spiny neurons. The spiny character of their dendrites was more pronounced in the small intestinal specimens and differed markedly from enkephalinergic stubby neurons described earlier. Exclusively in the duodenum, some neurons displayed prominent main dendrites with spiny side branches. Of the axons which could be followed from the ganglion of origin within primary strands of the myenteric plexus beyond the next ganglion (70 out of 140 traced neurons), 94.3% run anally and 5.7% orally. Very few neurons reactive for both VIP and nNOS could not be morphologically classified due to weak or absent NF-immunoreactivity. Another six wholemounts were triple-stained for VIP, nNOS and Hu proteins (HU). The proportion of VIP/nNOS-coreactive neurons in relation to the number of HU-reactive neurons was between 5.8 and 11.5% in the small and between 10.6 and 17.5% in the large intestinal specimens. We conclude that human myenteric spiny neurons co-immunoreactive for VIP and nNOS represent either inhibitory motor or descending interneurons.

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Section: Proportions Of Nnos-and Vip-immunoreactive Neurons In the Humentioning

confidence: 49%

Section: Proportions Of Nnos-and Vip-immunoreactive Neurons In the Humentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Quantification Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Morphology of VIP/nNOS-immunoreactive myenteric neurons in the human gut

Brehmer

Schrödl

Neuhuber

2005

Histochem Cell Biol

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“…In contrast, cholinergic myenteric neurons, immunoreactive for the common choline acetyltransferase (cChAT), include primary afferent, inter-, and excitatory motor neurons as mainly known from the guinea pig (Furness 2006). Although we have characterized morpho-chemically some non-nitrergic myenteric neuron types in human intestines (Brehmer et al 2004a, b, 2005), our knowledge of diverse enteric neuron types in the human gut is still fragmentary (Brehmer 2006). …”

Section: Structural Components Of the Human Enteric Nervous Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Chagasic megacolon: enteric neurons and related structures

Jabari

Oliveira

Brehmer

et al. 2014

Histochem Cell Biol

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Megacolon, the irreversible dilation of a colonic segment, is a structural sign associated with various gastrointestinal disorders. In its hereditary, secondary form (e.g. in Hirschsprung’s disease), dilation occurs in an originally healthy colonic segment due to an anally located, aganglionic zone. In contrast, in chronic Chagas’ disease, the dilated segment itself displays pathohistological changes, and the earliest and most prominent being found was massive loss of myenteric neurons. This neuron loss was partial and selective, i.e. some neurons containing neuronal nitric oxide synthase and/or vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) were spared from neuron death. This disproportionate survival of inhibitory neurons, however, did not completely correlate with the calibre change along the surgically removed, megacolonic segments. A better correlation was observed as to potentially contractile muscle tissue elements and the interstitial cells of Cajal. Therefore, the decreased densities of α-smooth muscle actin- and c-kit-immunoreactive profiles were estimated along resected megacolonic segments. Their lowest values were observed in the megacolonic zones itself, whereas less pronounced decreases were found in the non-dilated, transitional zones (oral and anal to dilation). In contrast to the myenteric plexus, the submucosal plexus displayed only a moderate neuron loss. Neurons co-immunoreactive for VIP and calretinin survived disproportionately. As a consequence, these neurons may have contributed to maintain the epithelial barrier and allowed the chagasic patients to survive for decades, despite their severe disturbance of colonic motility. Due to its neuroprotective and neuroeffectory functions, VIP may play a key role in the development and duration of chagasic megacolon.

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“…The chagasic megacolon has been associated with chronic constipation and inability of internal sphincter to relax, which is consistent with loss of nitrergic neurons which release nitric oxide NO via nNOS [34]. Also, a decreased expression of nNOS in myenteric plexus in experimental acute inflammation and aging contexts have been described [35,36].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 71%

Nitrergic Myenteric Neurons are Spared in Experimental Chagasic Megacolon

Ricci¹,

Campos²,

Cartelle³

et al. 2016

J Neuroinfect Dis

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Chagas disease is a chronic disorder caused by the Trypanosoma cruzi protozoan. The infection causes alterations to the enteric nervous system such as megaesophagus and megacolon. There is evidence of denervation of myenteric ganglia. The intense parasitism of acute phase affects neuronal integrity but contrasts with the absence of parasites and the discreet inflammatory process of chronic phase, indicating a progressive injury mechanism that needs to be better understood in the megacolons. The potential selectivity of enteric neurons classes affected by the progression of the disease is not yet clear. Nitrergic neurons which co-localize other neurotransmitters represent the most common inhibitory neuron of the ENS. Recently a chronic stage of the Chagas disease was reproduced experimentally in a suitable murine model of megacolon. Considering the limitation of studying human intestine and the controversy on the pattern of nNOS involvement in chagasic megacolon, we decided to assess the nitrergic neurons in the myenteric plexus of mice. We used antibodies against structural protein gene product 9.5 (PGP 9.5) and functional neuronal nitric oxide synthase (n-NOS) at the acute and chronic phase of the disease to quantify myenteric ganglionar neurons in the colon of infected and non-infected mice. We found a reduction in the ganglionar number of neurons detected by anti-protein gene product 9.5 antibodies in colon from mice at the chronic stage. However, the number of nitrergic neurons per ganglia remained unchanged along the acute to phase chronic of the disease. Our findings indicate a long-term preservation of nitregic neurons detrimental to other classes of enteric in our model of experimental Chagas disease. We propose that differential loss of enteric neurons is at least one of the structural substrate for the development of the longterm morphfunctional changes that lead to the megacolon.

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Morphology of enkephalin-immunoreactive myenteric neurons in the human gut

Cited by 24 publications

References 31 publications

Morphology of VIP/nNOS-immunoreactive myenteric neurons in the human gut

Morphology of VIP/nNOS-immunoreactive myenteric neurons in the human gut

Chagasic megacolon: enteric neurons and related structures

Nitrergic Myenteric Neurons are Spared in Experimental Chagasic Megacolon

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