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PubMed1990

The spatial distribution of excitatory and inhibitory inputs to ganglion cell dendrites in the tiger salamander retina.

In response to focal stimuli, ganglion cell dendrites receive excitation over a relatively narrow extent of the inner plexiform layer (IPL). This excitation is embedded in 2 wider lateral inhibitory regions. Here we estimate the lateral dimensions of the inhibitory regions. Ganglion cells were whole-cell patch-clamped and dendrites were identified and located in retinal slices using Lucifer yellow in the pipettes. The spatial distribution of ganglion cell dendritic sensitivity was measured with puffs of transmitter substances applied at different distances along the dendrites. All ganglion cell dendrites were sensitive to glutamate, GABA, and glycine across their full extent. The responses to puffs decreased with lateral distance from the soma and were well fit by Gaussians. The responses to puffs of potassium showed a similar decrement with distance. Since potassium channels are probably uniformly distributed along the dendrites, the similarity in profiles suggests that receptor density is also uniform along the dendrites. The spatial distribution of responses of ganglion cells to excitatory and inhibitory synaptic inputs was measured by depolarizing local populations of bipolar terminals (and subsequently local populations of amacrine cells) with transretinal current (TRC). TRC-stimulating electrodes were displaced laterally, with respect to the ganglion cell soma, to generate response profiles. We estimated the dimensions of the inhibitory and excitatory signals received by the ganglion cells by removing the contributions of their dendrites, the stimulus, and other interneurons from the response profiles. The excitatory signal extended less than 100 microns, the approximate dimensions of the ganglion cell dendrites, and corresponds roughly to the width of the bipolar inputs. The GABAergic signal extended, on average, 253 microns and glycinergic signal extended, on average, 315 microns. These inhibitory signal dimensions correspond to the width of classes of amacrine cell processes measured in other studies.

Animals↗

PubMed1985

The topography of ganglion cell production in the cat's retina.

The ganglion cells of the cat's retina form several classes distinguishable in terms of soma size, axon diameter, dendritic morphology, physiological properties, and central connections. Labeling with [3H]thymidine shows that the ganglion cells which survive in the adult are produced as several temporally shifted, overlapping waves: medium-sized cells are produced before large cells, whereas the smallest ganglion cells are produced throughout the period of ganglion cell generation (Walsh, C., E. H. Polley, T. L. Hickey, and R. W. Guillery (1983) Nature 302: 611-614). Large cells and medium-sized cells show the same distinctive pattern of production, forming rough spirals around the area centralis. The oldest cells tend to lie superior and nasal to the area centralis, whereas cells in the inferior nasal retina and inferior temporal retina are, in general, progressively younger. Within each retinal quadrant, cells nearer the area centralis tend to be older than cells in the periphery, but there is substantial overlap. The retinal raphe divides the superior temporal quadrant into two zones with different patterns of cell addition. Superior temporal retina near the vertical meridian adds cells only slightly later than superior nasal retina, whereas superior temporal retina near the horizontal meridian adds cells very late, contemporaneously with inferior temporal retina. The broader wave of production of smaller ganglion cells seems to follow this same spiral pattern at its beginning and end. The presence of the area centralis as a nodal point about which ganglion cell production in the retinal quadrants pivots suggests that the area centralis is already an important retinal landmark even at the earliest stages of retinal development. This sequence of ganglion cell production differs markedly from that seen in the retinae of nonmammalian vertebrates, where new ganglion cells are added as concentric rings to the retinal periphery, and also bears no simple relationship to the cat's retinal decussation line. However, it can be related in a straightforward manner to the organization of axons in the cat's optic tract, suggesting that the fiber order in the tract represents a grouping of fibers by age.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Displaced amacrine cells in the ganglion cell layer of the ground squirrel retina.

In some mammals a large portion of the retinal neurons of the ganglion cell layer are not ganglion cells. These neurons, lacking axons which pass to the brain via the optic nerve, are termed displaced amacrine cells. The present study assessed the number of displaced amacrine cells in the thirteen-lined ground squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus). We compared the number of labeled cells in the ganglion cell layer after HRP injection of optic tracts and target nuclei with the total number of neurons in the ganglion cell layer. We conclude that approximately one half of the neurons in the ganglion cell layer are displaced amacrine cells, the other one half are ganglion cells. The displaced amacrine cells are on the average smaller than the ganglion cells. Our results provide a rationale for renewed study of relation of ganglion cell morphology and physiological functional type in this species.

Animals↗

PubMed1998

Age-dependent and cell class-specific modulation of retinal ganglion cell bursting activity by GABA.

Competition for postsynaptic targets during development is thought to be driven by differences in temporal patterns of neuronal activity. In the ferret visual system, retinal ganglion cells that are responsive either to the onset (On) or to the offset (Off) of light exhibit similar patterns of spontaneous bursting activity early in development but later develop different bursting rhythms during the period when their axonal arbors segregate to occupy spatially distinct regions in the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus. Here, we demonstrate that GABAergic transmission plays an important, although not exclusive, role in regulating the bursting patterns of morphologically identified On and Off ganglion cells. During the first and second postnatal weeks, blocking GABAA receptors leads to a decrease in the bursting activity of all ganglion cells, suggesting that GABA potentiates activity at the early ages. Subsequently, during the period of On-Off segregation in the geniculate nucleus, GABA suppresses ganglion cell bursting activity. In particular, On ganglion cells show significantly higher bursting rates when GABAergic transmission is blocked, but the bursting rates of Off ganglion cells are not affected systematically. Thus, developmental differences in the bursting rates of On and Off ganglion cells emerge as GABA becomes inhibitory and as it consistently and more strongly inhibits On compared with Off ganglion cells. Because in many parts of the CNS GABAergic circuits appear early in development, our results also implicate a potentially important and possibly general role for local inhibitory interneurons in creating distinct temporal patterns of presynaptic activity that are specific to each developmental period.

Aging↗

PubMed1964

OBSERVATIONS ON THE MODE OF ACTION OF SOME CENTRAL DEPRESSANT DRUGS ON TRANSMISSION THROUGH THE CAT SUPERIOR CERVICAL GANGLION.

Methylpentynol, paraldehyde, amylobarbitone and procainamide blocked transmission through the cat superior cervical ganglion, and antagonized the ganglion-stimulating actions of acetylcholine and carbachol injected intra-arterially to the ganglion. Comparison with the effects of tetraethylammonium indicated that the impaired response to acetylcholine could not wholly account for the failure of transmission, which suggested that an impaired release of transmitter substance was a contributory factor. Methylpentynol, paraldehyde and procainamide also blocked the ganglion-stimulating action of potassium chloride. In contrast, amylobarbitone and pentobarbitone did not block the stimulating action of potassium chloride, but antagonized specifically the actions of acetylcholine and carbachol. The anti-acetylcholine activities of the two barbiturate drugs at this site accord with their relative ganglion-blocking activities. It is concluded that the ganglion-blocking action of methylpentynol, paraldehyde and procainamide arises from a nonspecific depression of both presynaptic and postsynaptic elements in the ganglion, but that barbiturate compounds act more specifically on the acetylcholine receptor.

Acetylcholine↗

PubMed1976

Gustatory pathways in the bullhead catfish. 1. Connections of the anterior ganglion.

The central projections of the external gustatory system in bullhead catfish were examined using orthograde degeneration and retrograde transport of horseradish peroxidase (HRP) techniques. Both large and small cells were observed in the anterior ganglion which contains a mixture of elements from the trigeminal, facial and anterior lateral line nerves. Some of the large cells on the lateral margin of the ganglion were found to belong to the lateral line system. No separation of trigeminal and facial nerve connections could be made. Using HRP, the relation between the barbels and specific ganglion regions was determined. The dorsalmost portion of the ganglion received recurrens nerve inputs (from taste buds on the trunk); the rostromedial portion of the ganglion, from the maxillary and mandibular barbel nerves. The facial lobe (similar to part of the n. solitarius) was found to be divided into lobules by fascicles of nerve fibers. The lateral lobule received input only from the dorsal-most part of the ganglion (recurrens nerve: trunk receptors); the intermediate lobule from the rostro-lateral part of the ganglion (nasal barbel); and the medial lobule from the ventral areas of the ganglion (maxillary and mandibular barbels). Thus a topographical relationship exists between the different taste receptor groups and their locus of representation in the facial lobe. The trunk receptors connect to the lateral lobule; the nasal barbel receptors to the intermediate lobule, and the maxillo-mandibular receptors to the medial lobule.

Afferent Pathways↗

PubMed1978

Retinal ganglion cells in the crucian carp (Carassius carassius). I. Size and number of somata in eyes of different size.

Ganglion cell somata were drawn, measured and counted in flat-mounted crucian carp and goldfish retinas stained with cresyl violet or methylene blue. Some diameter histograms suggest that the ganglion cells can be divided into two populations with overlapping soma sizes: a large group of small cells and a small group of large cells, the latter constituting 2.5-5% of all ganglion cells. With increasing distance from the optic disc the mean soma diameter increases while the ganglion cell density decreases. In a peripheral growth zone close to the margin the ganglion cells become smaller again. The total number of ganglion cells in retinas of different size was calculated from the areas of the flat-mounted preparations and the cell densities in two representative regions. In the crucian carp population used in this work the total number of ganglion cells per retina was found to increase from roughly 140,000 (mean of 8 scattered value) to a full 200,000 between eye diameters 4 and 10 mm, this increase taking place mainly between eye diameters of 4 and 6.5 mm. Thus, due to a drastically decreasing cell density, the total number of ganglion cells increases only by a factor of about 1.5 while the retinal area becomes sixfold. During the same growth period the mean soma diameter increases by a factor of about 1.3 and the soma volume more than doubles. The optic nerve of a small crunated and myelinated axons were found. The axons in the optic nerve are, on an average, considerably thicker than the axons on the retinal surface.

Animals↗

PubMed1981

Regional specialization of the chick retina as revealed by the size and density of neurons in the ganglion cell layer.

On the basis of both morphological criteria and survival after ganglion cell axotomy, three populations of cells can be recognized in the ganglion cell layer of the chick retina. These are: 1) Irregularly shaped cells, which are not affected by axotomy and lack Nissl stain. They comprise about 5% of the total cell population and are probably glial cells. 2) Small cells which have a distinctive teardrop-shaped perikarya, stain for Nissl substance, and are not affected by axotomy. They occur with a uniform density of about 4,000 cells/mm2 across the entire retina and comprise 30-35% of the total number of cells in the ganglion cell layer. It is suggested that these cells are displaced amacrine cells. 3) Cells which stain strongly for Nissl substance and disappear after axotomy. These cells comprise 60-65% of the population of cells in this layer. The density of the latter cells varies throughout the retina. A high-density region in the central area extends into the superior-temporal retina. This high-density region corresponds to a position in the lateral visual field extending into the infero-frontal field. The total number of these cells agrees with the reported number of the optic nerve fibres in the chick, (Rager and Rager, '78); therefore they are presumably ganglion cells. The size distribution of the presumptive ganglion cells varies in different parts of the retina. The only previous study of the distribution and size of cells in the ganglion cell layer of the avian retina did not distinguish between ganglion cells and displaced amacrine cells (Binggeli and Paule, '69). The present results are therefore likely to be a more accurate description of the total number of ganglion cells, the regional variations in their density, and the characteristics of their size than previously reported.

Animals↗

PubMed1984

Assessment of possible transneuronal changes in the retina of rats with inherited retinal dystrophy: cell size, number, synapses, and axonal transport by retinal ganglion cells.

In pigmented RCS rats with inherited retinal dystrophy, most photoreceptor cells disappear between postnatal days 20 and 100. We have examined the time course of the degeneration of photoreceptor nuclei and synapses and determined whether transneuronal changes occur in the inner nuclear layer (INL), inner plexiform layer (IPL), and retinal ganglion cells following loss of photoreceptor cells in these animals. Electron microscopic photomontages of the entire thickness of the IPL of dystrophic (RCS-p+) and control (RCS-rdy+ p+) rats 334 to 515 days old were prepared, and synapses were counted and identified as either conventional (amacrine) or ribbon (bipolar) types. Neither the incidence of synapses in the IPL nor the ratio of conventional to ribbon synapses differed in the dystrophic and control retinas. Ganglion cell diameter, perimeter, area, and density were measured from drawings of wholemount preparations of dystrophic and control rats 105 days and older. Diameter, perimeter, area and number of ganglion cells were not significantly different in the two genotypes. Anterograde axonal transport was measured by studying the displacement of labeled material as it traveled along ganglion cell axons and accumulated in the superior colliculus. The normal and dystrophic rats showed no significant difference in (1) the rates of rapidly moving components (approximately 110-180 mm/day) and slowly moving components (1.7-2.5 mm/day) or (2) the amount of radioactive material transported to the superior colliculus. The absence of transneuronal changes in retinal ganglion cells of RCS rats contrasts with results obtained earlier in rd mice (Graftstein et al., '72). Unlike the RCS rat, retinal degeneration in rd mice occurs before the maturation of the retina. We hypothesize that the ganglion cells may be more affected by loss of input early in development, and, therefore, ganglion cells of retinal dystrophic rats are less affected despite little or no synaptic input for several months. Furthermore, any reduction in the electrical activity of retinal ganglion cells that might follow loss of photoreceptor cells does not result in a significantly decreased rate of axonal transport.

Aging↗

PubMed1995

Nervus terminalis ganglion of the bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo): evidence for cholinergic and catecholaminergic influence on two cell types distinguished by peptide immunocytochemistry.

The nervus terminalis is a ganglionated vertebrate cranial nerve of unknown function that connects the brain and the peripheral nasal structures. To investigate its function, we have studied nervus terminalis ganglion morphology and physiology in the bonnethead shark (Sphyrna tiburo), where the nerve is particularly prominent. Immunocytochemistry for gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and Leu-Pro-Leu-Arg-Phe-NH2 (LPLRFamide) revealed two distinct populations of cells. Both were acetylcholinesterase positive, but LPLR-Famide-immunoreactive cells consistently stained more darkly for acetylcholinesterase activity. Tyrosine hydroxylase immunocytochemistry revealed fibers and terminal-like puncta in the ganglion, primarily in areas containing GnRH-immunoreactive cells. Consistent with the anatomy, in vitro electrophysiological recordings provided evidence for cholinergic and catecholaminergic actions. In extracellular recordings, acetylcholine had a variable effect on baseline ganglion cell activity, whereas norepinephrine consistently reduced activity. Electrical stimulation of the nerve trunks suppressed ganglion activity, as did impulses from the brain in vivo. During electrical suppression, acetylcholine consistently increased activity, and norepinephrine decreased activity. Muscarinic and, to a lesser extent, alpha-adrenergic antagonists both increased activity during the electrical suppression, suggesting involvement of both systems. Intracellular recordings revealed two types of ganglion cells that were distinguishable pharmacologically and physiologically. Some cells were hyperpolarized by cholinergic agonists and unaffected by norepinephrine; these cells did not depolarize with peripheral nerve trunk stimulation. Another group of cells did depolarize with peripheral trunk stimulation; a representative of this group was depolarized by carbachol and hyperpolarized by norepinephrine. These and other data suggest that the bonnethead nervus terminalis ganglion contains at least two cell populations that respond differently to acetylcholine and norepinephrine. The bonnethead nervus terminalis ganglion appears to differ fundamentally from sensory and autonomic ganglia but does share some features with the neural circuits of forebrain GnRH systems.

Acetylcholinesterase↗

PubMed1987

Ganglionic circulation and its effects on neurons controlling cardiovascular functions in Aplysia californica.

The abdominal ganglion of the mollusk Aplysia californica receives most of its blood supply through a small caudal artery that branches off the anterior aorta near its junction with the heart. Injection of an ink/gelatin mixture into the caudal artery revealed a consistent pattern of arterial branching within the ganglion and a general proximity of larger vessels to identified neurons controlling circulation in this animal. This morphological arrangement was particularly evident for the heart excitor interneuron, cell L10, which lies next to the caudal artery near its entry into the ganglion. In electrophysiological experiments, L10 was excited when blood flow or oxygen tension within the ganglion was reduced. This effect was expressed as a gradual increase in impulse frequency of L10 and conversion from tonic to bursting mode of spike discharge. L10 follower cells in the RB and LD neuron clusters were affected synaptically by the changes in L10 activity, while other follower cells (L3 and RD neurons) responded independently of L10's synaptic influence. The neurosecretory white cells (R3 to R14) that innervate the major arteries and pericardial tissues were also excited when ganglionic circulation was interrupted. In innervated preparations of the heart and respiratory organs, decreased circulation through the abdominal ganglion stimulated a transient increase in the rate and amplitude of respiratory (gill) pumping and pericardial contractions and caused a sustained increase in activity of the heart. Both responses increase cardiac output and both appear to involve a direct influence of ganglionic circulation on interneurons controlling the gill and heart. These results indicate that the cell-specific patterns of excitation and inhibition caused by fluctuations in ganglionic circulation may be important factors for maintaining circulatory homeostasis in this animal.

Animals↗

PubMed1976

Cat retinal ganglion cells projecting to the superior colliculus as shown by the horseradish peroxidase method.

1. Cat retinal ganglion cells projecting to the superior colliculus (SC) were detected in flat whole-mounts of Nissl-stained retinas by means of unilateral intracollicular injections of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). 2. With the purpose of drawing a comparison between HRP-labeled ganglion cells and the remaining population of unlabeled ganglion cells, the latter were classified according to their perikaryal characteristics into three groups: large, medium and small ganglion cells. Measurements of perikaryal sizes of ganglion cells distributed from the central area to the periphery of the retina showed that large cells ranged from 20 to 44 mum, medium cells from 15 to 30 mum and small cells from 8 to 17 mum. 3. Peroxidase-labeled retinal ganglion cells (HRP-cells) occurred among representatives of each of the three groups into which retinal ganglion cells had been classified. Small HRP-cells clearly constituted the majority of the HRP-cell population. When the injection site was restricted to the superior colliculus, medium HRP-cells as large as 19 mum were only occasionally observed, the 15 to 18 mum range being predominant over the medium cell population. 4. Medium HRP-cells larger than 20 mum were a common finding only when the injection site involved the pretectal nuclei and were never observed when the injection site was restricted to superior colliculus. 5. Possibility of a correspondence between the large, medium and small HRP-cells of the present study with, respectively, the physiological types Y-, X- and W- of cat retinal ganglion cells is discussed.

Afferent Pathways↗

PubMed1991

Cholinergic innervation of the mouse superior cervical ganglion: light- and electron-microscopic immunocytochemistry for choline acetyltransferase.

The cholinergic innervation of the mouse superior cervical ganglion was investigated by means of immunocytochemistry using a well-characterized monoclonal antibody against choline acetyltransferase (ChAT). Immunopositive nerve fibers entered the superior cervical ganglion from the cervical sympathetic trunk. Light-microscopically, these fibers appeared to be heterogeneously distributed among the principal ganglion cells. The rostral part of the ganglion contained more ChAT-positive fibers then the middle or the caudal one. The axons branched several times before forming numerous varicosities. Most of the ChAT-stained fibers and varicosities aggregated in glomerula-like neuropil structures that were surrounded by principal ganglion cell bodies, whereas others were isolated or formed little bundles among principle neurons. None of the neurons or other cell types in the ganglion exhibited ChAT-positivity. ChAT-immunoreactive fibers disappeared from the ganglion 5 or 13 days after transection of the cervical sympathetic trunk. At the ultrastructural level, most axon terminals and synapses showed ChAT-immunoreactivity. An ultrastructural analysis indicated that immunostained synapses occurred directly on the surface of neuronal soma (1.8%) and dendritic shafts (17.6%). Synapses were often seen on soma spines (18.4%) and on dendritic spines (62.2%). All immunoreactive synapses were of the asymmetric type. The results provide immunocytochemical evidence for a heterogeneous cholinergic innervation of the ganglion and the principal neurons.

Animals↗

PubMed1992

Characterization of a RFamide-positive subset of ganglionic cells in the hydrozoan planular nerve net.

The complexity of the hydrozoan planular nervous system was examined. Using a whole-mount technique with indirect immunofluorescence, the spatial pattern of ganglionic cells showing RFamide-like immunoreactivity was visualized. RFamide antiserum bound a subset of ganglionic cells in the anterior and upper middle regions of the planula and a few ganglionic cells in the upper tail region. Labeled cells consisted of bipolar and multipolar neurons. Stained processes from these cells formed a three-dimensional nerve net that followed the contour of the mesoglea; such fibers were striking in terms of their large numbers, long lengths, and organization into distinct bundles. Labeled fibers were seen to contact other ganglionic cells, sensory cells, epithelio-muscle cells, the mesoglea, and the outside free surface. All stained cell bodies and fibers were found in the ectoderm. Using the same technique the reappearance of RFamide-positive ganglionic cells in epithelial tissue of chimeric grafts of planulae was observed. Interstitial cells capable of forming RFamide-positive ganglionic cells underwent extensive anterior-posterior migrations in the grafts, moved into the epithelial tissue, and differentiated into RFamide-positive ganglionic cells. Stained repopulated ganglionic cells always formed in the same position in the epithelial tissue as was observed in control planulae suggesting that the expression of RFamide-like substances may be position dependent in the planula.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Co-localization of nitric oxide synthase and vasoactive intestinal peptide immunoreactivity in neurons of the major pelvic ganglion projecting to the rat rectum and penis.

Nitric oxide synthase (NOS)- and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP)-immunoreactive neurons projecting to the upper rectum or penis were examined using retrograde tracing combined with immunohistochemistry in the major pelvic ganglion of male rats. Five days after injection of Fluoro-Gold (FG) into the upper rectum or penis, the major pelvic ganglion was treated with colchicine. FG injected into the upper rectum labelled many ganglion neurons in the major pelvic ganglion. Immunohistochemistry showed that 37% of FG-labelled neurons were immunoreactive for NOS and 33% for VIP. After injection of FG into the penis, 41% of FG-labelled neurons were immunoreactive for NOS and 25% for VIP. Serial cryostat sections stained for NOS and VIP, respectively, showed the co-localization of NOS and VIP in the ganglion cells projecting to the rectum and penis. In the major pelvic ganglion of the colchicine-treated animals, about 17% of the ganglion cells were immunoreactive for NOS and 32% were immunoreactive for VIP. These neurons were small in diameter (less than 30 microns). A histogram showing cell sizes in cross-sectional areas of NOS-immunoreactive neurons coincided with that of VIP-immunoreactive neurons. Most of the NOS- and VIP-immunoreactive neurons were less than 600 microns. These results indicate that small neurons containing both NOS and VIP in the major pelvic ganglion project to the rectum and penis. In the penile erectile tissues and enteric ganglia, NO and VIP may be released from the same axons and may act concomitantly on the target tissue.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗

PubMed1995

Origins of nerve fibers containing nitric oxide synthase in the rat celiac-superior mesenteric ganglion.

The origin of nitric oxide synthase-containing nerve fibers in rat celiac-superior mesenteric ganglion was examined using retrograde tracing techniques combined with the immunofluorescence method. Fluoro-Gold was injected into the celiac-superior mesenteric ganglion. Neuronal cell bodies retrogradely labeled with Fluoro-Gold in the thoracic spinal cord, the dorsal root ganglia at the thoracic level, the nodose ganglion, and the intestine from the duodenum to the proximal colon were examined for nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivity. About 60% of sympathetic preganglionic neurons in the intermediolateral nucleus projecting to the celiac-superior mesenteric ganglion were immunoreactive for nitric oxide synthase, as were approximately 27% of nodose ganglion neurons and about 65% of dorsal root ganglion neurons projecting to the celiac-superior mesenteric ganglion. Neurons projecting to the celiac-superior mesenteric ganglion were found in the myenteric plexus of the small and large intestine. In the proximal colon, about 23% of such neurons were immunoreactive for nitric oxide synthase. However, in the small intestine, no immunoreactivity was found in these neurons.

Amino Acid Oxidoreductases↗

PubMed2005

Role of ganglion cells in sigmoid volvulus.

The aim of this study was to clarify the role of ganglion cells in the development and recurrence of sigmoid volvulus. We analyzed 9 samples obtained from 9 patients who had undergone sigmoidectomy for sigmoid volvulus, and, for comparison, 18 samples from 18 patients who had undergone sigmoidectomy or low anterior resection for rectal cancer. Neuron-specific enolase was used for immunohistochemical staining to detect ganglion cells, and the number of ganglion cells in 20 contiguous fields was counted at 200? magnification. The average number of ganglion cells per 1000 cm(3) was corrected using the ratio of the circumference of the resected sigmoid colon to the average circumference in the control group. The raw numbers of ganglion cells in the Meissner's and Auerbach's plexuses in the volvulus group were significantly lower than those in the non-volvulus group (Meissner: p = 0.017, Auerbach: p = 0.007). The circumference of the resected sigmoid colons with volvulus was greater than that of those without volvulus (p = 0.00013). There was no significant difference in the corrected numbers of ganglion cells in the Meissner's plexus or Auerbach's plexus per 1000 cm(3) between the volvulus and non-volvulus groups (Meissner: p = 0.410, Auerbach: p = 0.890).Furthermore, there was no significant difference in the corrected numbers of ganglion cells between the revolvulus and non-revolvulus groups. These findings led us to conclude that functional disorder of bowel movement or elongation of the bowel in sigmoid volvulus or revolvulus is not related to the number of ganglion cells in Auerbach's or Meissner's plexus.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Cathepsin D is a marker of ganglion cell differentiation in the developing and neoplastic human peripheral sympathetic nervous tissues.

Cathepsin D (CD) is an aspartic proteinase which has been immunolocalised in intestinal ganglion cells of human neonates and adults. The aim of the present study was to define whether CD is a reliable ganglion cell differentiation marker in routinely fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. For this purpose, we investigated immunohistochemically the expression and distribution of CD in the developing human peripheral sympathetic nervous system (PSNS) and gastroenteric nervous system (GENS), and in childhood neuroblastic tumours (NTs; neuroblastomas, ganglioneuroblastomas and ganglioneuromas), where ganglion cells differentiate from immature neuroblastic cells. During ontogenesis, CD expression is restricted to ganglion cell lineage with a progressively more intense cytoplasmic staining, mirroring the morphological differentiation of ganglion cells with increasing gestational ages. In neoplastic tissues, CD immunoreactivity was restricted to neuroblastic cells showing morphological features of gangliocytic differentiation (differentiating neuroblastomas, ganglioneuroblastomas) as well as to neoplastic ganglion cells (ganglioneuroblastomas, ganglioneuromas). We conclude that CD is a reliable ganglion cell differentiation marker, which can be used routinely to stain developing and mature ganglion cells in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues. Furthermore, our results indicate that CD immunoreactivity in childhood NTs recapitulates the changes during normal PSNS development, as previously reported for Bcl-2 oncoprotein, c-ErbB2, insulin-like growth factor 2 and beta2-microglobulin. This is consistent with the current view that childhood NTs exhibit gene expression profiles mirroring those occurring during PSNS ontogenesis.

Adult↗