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Neuronal nitric oxide synthase activity is increased during granulomatous inflammation in the colon and caecum of pigs infected with Schistosoma japonicum.
- Source :
-
Autonomic neuroscience : basic & clinical [Auton Neurosci] 2002 Jul 31; Vol. 99 (1), pp. 1-12. - Publication Year :
- 2002
-
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.
- 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
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1566-0702
- Volume :
- 99
- Issue :
- 1
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Autonomic neuroscience : basic & clinical
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 12171250
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/s1566-0702(02)00042-5