Figure 1.

Smooth muscle reactivity to Ach and c-kit expression in wild-type (WT), W/W^v and W/W^v mast cell reconstituted mice. (A) Bar graphs displaying the contractile response of fundus circular smooth muscle strips to increasing concentrations of Ach in wild type, W/W^v, and W/W^v with mast cell reconstituted mice. Smooth muscle reactivity to Ach was significantly lower in W/W^v mice vs. the wild type mice (^*p < 0.05) at Ach concentrations of 10⁻³ and 10⁻². Mast cell reconstitution restored smooth muscle reactivity to Ach. Smooth muscle reactivity to Ach was significantly higher in W/W^v MCR mice vs. W/W^v mice at Ach concentrations of 10⁻⁵, 10⁻⁴, 10⁻³, and 10⁻² (^#p < 0.05). N = 4 mice (7–9 strips) in each group. (B) Western blotting showed decrease in expression of c-kit in W/W^vvs. wild type mice that was not restored by mast cell reconstitution. c-kit immunofluorescence in fundus whole mounts from wild type mice showing the network of intramuscular ICC. (C) W/W^v (D), and W/W^v + mast cell reconstituted mice (E) No intramuscular ICC networks were detected in W/W^v mice. Mast cell reconstitution failed to restore c-kit positive ICC networks.