Open AccessCellular and molecular mechanism study of declined intestinal transit function in the cholesterol gallstone formation process of the guinea pig
Author(s) -
Ying Fan,
Shuodong Wu,
Zhenhua Yin,
Binying Fu
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
experimental and therapeutic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1792-1015
pISSN - 1792-0981
DOI - 10.3892/etm.2014.1943
Subject(s) - interstitial cell of cajal , stem cell factor , ileum , biology , reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction , guinea pig , medicine , messenger rna , endocrinology , stem cell , microbiology and biotechnology , andrology , immunohistochemistry , immunology , biochemistry , gene , haematopoiesis
The aim of this study was to investigate the cellular and molecular mechanisms of declined intestinal transit (IT) function in the cholesterol gallstone (CG) formation process. Forty guinea pigs were divided into an experimental group (EG) and a control group (CoG), and the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was performed for the analysis of c-kit and stem cell factor (scf) mRNA expression in the small bowel. In addition, immunofluorescence staining and confocal laser microscopy were performed for the observation of the changes in the number of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) in the terminal ileum of each group. RT-PCR showed that, compared with the CoG, the intestinal c-kit and scf mRNA expression levels in the EG were significantly decreased; the average positive area of ICCs in the ileum in the EG was also significantly reduced. During the diet-induced CG formation procedure, the c-kit and scf mRNA expression levels in the small intestine decreased and the number of ICCs decreased. Inhibition of the c-kit/scf pathway may be involved in the declined IT function during the CG formation process.