Table 3.
Density of immunoreactivity to specific neurotransmitters and cell populations (A) and counts of immunohistochemically defined neuronal cell bodies (B) in ileal and mid-colonic myenteric plexus
| Ileum | Mid-colon | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | Diabetic | Control | Diabetic | |
| (A) % positivity against | ||||
| NSE | 19.5 ± 1.6 (8) | 20.5 ± 1.5 (8) | 42.3 ± 2.1 (8) | 35.5 ± 1.9 (7)* |
| VIP | 0.8 ± 0.1 (3) | 1.3 ± 0.1 (4)** | 7.2 ± 0.4 (4) | 11.8 ± 1.8 (4)* |
| SP | 1.5 ± 0.3 (4) | 2.5 ± 0.2 (4)* | 4.3 ± 0.8 (5) | 7.6 ± 0.4 (4)* |
| GFAP | 7.5 ± 0.6 (4) | 8.6 ± 0.8 (4) | 11.9 ± 1.9 (4) | 12.1 ± 0.4 (4) |
| c-kit | 43.7 ± 1.9 (4) | 39.9 ± 3.7 (3) | 42.4 ± 1.9 (4) | 39.4 ± 1.5 (4) |
| (B) Neuronal counts | ||||
| HuD+ neurons/0.17 mm2 | 61.5 ± 4.6 (7) | 51.6 ± 4.4 (6)* | 88.3 ± 4.8 (7) | 75.0 ± 3.3 (7)* |
| % HuD+ neurons stained for | ||||
| nNOS | 25.8 ± 3.1 (3) | 31.8 ± 4.3 (3) | 39.6 ± 4.0 (4) | 41.6 ± 3.8 (4) |
| ChAT | 79.0 ± 5.1 (3) | 76.3 ± 2.5 (3) | 71.4 ± 8.2 (4) | 76.4 ± 3.9 (4) |
| Cleaved caspase-3 | 1.4 ± 1.0 (3) | 4.5 ± 2.0 (4) | 2.4 ± 1.2 (3) | 2.8 ± 1.4 (3) |
| Bcl-2 | 20.6 ± 2.3 (3) | 17.3 ± 2.8 (3) | 15.0 ± 2.4 (3) | 19.0 ± 2.4 (3) |
| No. +neurons/15 ganglia | ||||
| VIP | 3.5 ± 0.9 (4) | 9.0 ± 1.1 (4)** | 23.4 ± 3.5 (5) | 14.5 ± 2.4 (4) |
| SP | 11.3 ± 1.5 (4) | 8.8 ± 0.7 (4) | 8.9 ± 1.6 (5) | 6.8 ± 1.2 (4) |
GFAP, glial fibrillary acidic protein; NSE, neuron-specific enolase.
Figures represent mean ± SEM. The numbers of animals used are given in parentheses. Data in (A) are expressed as mean percent immunofluorescent area per scanned field. NSE staining was evaluated at 10× magnification (0.75 mm2/field). Samples immunostained with VIP, SP, GFAP or c-kit were scanned at 20× magnification (0.17 mm2/field). Counts in (B) are expressed as absolute numbers per 0.17 mm2 field, relative to total HuD-positive neurons or as absolute numbers in 15 ganglia. Only those neurons moderately to strongly immunoreactive for any given marker were quantified. Comparisons between groups were performed using the Student's t-test.
P<0.05 vs. control mice
P<0.01 vs. control mice.