1. Neuronal nitric oxide synthase activity is increased during granulomatous inflammation in the colon and caecum of pigs infected with Schistosoma japonicum.
- Author
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Balemba OB, Mortensen K, Semuguruka WD, Hay-Schmidt A, Johansen MV, and Dantzer V
- Subjects
- Animals, Animals, Newborn parasitology, Axons enzymology, Axons pathology, Cecum innervation, Cecum parasitology, Cecum pathology, Colon innervation, Colon parasitology, Colon pathology, Enteric Nervous System parasitology, Enteric Nervous System pathology, Female, Fetus parasitology, Fetus pathology, Fetus physiopathology, Ganglia, Autonomic enzymology, Ganglia, Autonomic parasitology, Ganglia, Autonomic pathology, Immunohistochemistry, Inflammation parasitology, Inflammation pathology, Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic pathology, Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic physiopathology, Myenteric Plexus enzymology, Myenteric Plexus parasitology, Myenteric Plexus pathology, NADP metabolism, Nitrergic Neurons parasitology, Nitrergic Neurons pathology, Nitric Oxide metabolism, Pregnancy, Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects, Schistosoma japonicum pathogenicity, Schistosomiasis japonica pathology, Schistosomiasis japonica physiopathology, Submucous Plexus enzymology, Submucous Plexus parasitology, Submucous Plexus pathology, Swine parasitology, Enteric Nervous System enzymology, Inflammation enzymology, Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic enzymology, Nitrergic Neurons enzymology, Nitric Oxide Synthase metabolism, Schistosomiasis japonica enzymology, Swine metabolism, Up-Regulation physiology
- Abstract
Neuronal nitric oxide is a non-adrenergic non-cholinergic neurotransmitter in the enteric nervous system and plays a role in a variety of enteropathies including Crohn's and Chagas' diseases, ulcerative colitis, diabetes, atrophy and hypertrophy. The content of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) in the colon and the caecum from pigs infected with Schistosoma japonicum was studied using immunohistochemical and histochemical staining for nNOS and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate diaphorase (NADPH-diaphorase), respectively. In the infected pigs, lightly, moderately and less severely inflamed tissues showed increased nNOS and NADPH-diaphorase activities in nerve cell bodies and nerve fibres in the enteric plexuses compared to control pigs. There was a significant increase in the nerve cell body density of nNOS immunoreactive nerve cell bodies in the inner submucous plexus, outer submucous plexus and in the myenteric plexus. More intensely stained nerve cell bodies and varicosities were observed in tissue from prenatally infected and prenatally infected, postnatally re-infected pigs compared to postnatally infected pigs. However, the latter showed the highest numerical density of nNOS immunoreactive nerve cell bodies. Marked increases were seen in the inner submucous plexus followed by myenteric plexus, inner circular muscle, outer submucous plexus and mucous plexus. However, in very severe inflamed tissues, the number and staining intensity of nerve cell bodies and nerve fibre varicosities were reduced in plexuses located in the lesions with the inner submucous and mucous plexuses being the most affected. There was no staining in the nervous tissue within the eosinophilic cell abscesses and productive granulomas. The apparent alterations in the activities of enzymes responsible for the generation of nitric oxide (NO) show possible alterations in the NO mediated non-adrenergic non-cholinergic reflexes in the enteric nervous tissue. These alterations might contribute to impaired intestinal motility and absorption, and other pathophysiological conditions seen during S. japonicum infections.
- Published
- 2002
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