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Coupling and innervation patterns of interstitial cells of Cajal in the deep muscular plexus of the guinea‐pig
Author(s) -
Kobilo T.,
Szurszewski J. H.,
Farrugia G.,
Hanani M.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
neurogastroenterology and motility
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.489
H-Index - 105
eISSN - 1365-2982
pISSN - 1350-1925
DOI - 10.1046/j.1350-1925.2003.00449.x
Subject(s) - interstitial cell of cajal , lucifer yellow , gap junction , coupling (piping) , anatomy , myenteric plexus , guinea pig , plexus , biology , chemistry , biophysics , medicine , microbiology and biotechnology , endocrinology , immunohistochemistry , smooth muscle , materials science , intracellular , metallurgy
Interstitial cells in the deep muscular plexus (ICC‐DMP) are thought to be essential for neurotransmission in the circular muscle. There is evidence for gap junctions within the ICC‐DMP network and between ICC‐DMP and muscle cells; however, there is no evidence for functional coupling via these gap junctions. In addition, the innervation of individual ICC‐DMP has not been studied. We investigated these questions by injecting the dye Lucifer yellow into ICC‐DMP of guinea‐pig ileum. Nerves were labelled immunohistochemically for protein gene product 9.5. Cells were imaged by confocal microscopy. Most (79%) of the dye‐injected ICC‐DMP were coupled to one to five other ICC‐DMP, and 86% of them were coupled to one to five circular muscle cells. Octanol effectively blocked all coupling. Incubation in pH 6.8–7.0 reduced ICC–ICC coupling to 49% and ICC–muscle coupling to 32%. In contrast, pH 7.8–7.9 increased ICC–ICC and ICC–muscle coupling to 100%. Most ICC somata (95%) and processes (60%) were in close proximity with both nerve fibres and smooth muscle cells. These results provide direct evidence for functional coupling within the ICC‐DMP network, and between this network and cells of the outer circular muscle layer and showed that coupling can be affected by pH.