Fig. 9.
Knocking out PTEN in adult ENPC significantly increases neuronal numbers and size with a significant increase in whole-gut transit time. (A and B) Photomicrographs showing HuC/D stained (green) neurons in the myenteric ganglia of Nestin-PTEN WT and Nestin-PTEN cKO mice, respectively, 30 d after induction with tamoxifen. Nuclei are counterstained with DAPI (blue). (Scale bars, 10 μm.) We observe that (C) there are significantly more HuC/D+ neurons in the myenteric plexus of the Nestin-PTEN cKO mice compared with their WT control Nestin-PTEN WT mice, and that (D) the mean size of neurons (denoted by Feret diameter: diameter of the neuronal cell soma) is significantly higher in Nestin-PTEN cKO mice, than in their WT controls (P < 0.05). (E) Nestin-PTEN cKO mice 30 d after induction with tamoxifen show a significantly increased whole-gut transit time of carmine red dye compared with age-matched Nestin-PTEN WT mice that were similarly induced with tamoxifen (P = 0.04).
