Distribution Of Interstitial Cells Of Cajal And Synaptophysin In The Bowel Affected By Hirschsprung's Disease

Objective The current study examined the distribution of interstitial cells of Cajal(ICCs) and expression of synaptophysin(SY) immunoreactivity ,and investigated the pathogenesis of Hirschsprung's disease(HD).Methods Full-thickness bowel specimens were obtained from the affected and normal intestinal segments of 32 patients with HD and 10 normal controls.By using immunohistochemistry for light microscopy,we compared the distribution of ICCs and SY in bowel of HD with that from normal controls.The number of ICCs in myenteric layer and circular muscle layer from different samples were accounted and compared.By using image analysis system,we analysised the mean optical density(MOD) of SY in different layers of the three groups.Results â‘ In bowels from normal controls and the normal segment of bowels from patients with HD,moderate to large amount of ICCs were observed around the myenteric plexus and at the circular muscle layer.ICCs in both the muscle layer and around the myenteric plexus appeared as a network structure.On the contrary,the mumber of c-kit~+ ICCs was remarkably reduced or even disappeared in aganglionic bowel segment of HD.In these segment,ICCs were sparse and only a few ICCs localized around the myenteric plexus region.Statistics showed the significant difference of ICCs between the aganglionic and normal controls(P<0.01),but there was no difference between the ganglionic segment of bowels in HD and that of normal controls(P>0.05). â‘¡In normal controls, SY immunoreactivity was abundant in the myenteric plexuses,...