Authors: Andrea M Harrington Margaret Lee SimYee Ong Eric Yong Pamela Farmer Cristal J Peck Chung W Chow John M Hutson Bridget R Southwell
Publish Date: 2010/05/21
Volume: 341, Issue: 1, Pages: 33-48
Abstract
Cholinergic nerves are identified by labelling molecules in the ACh synthesis release and destruction pathway Recently antibodies against another molecule in this pathway have been developed Choline reuptake at the synapse occurs via the highaffinity choline transporter CHT1 CHT1 immunoreactivity is present in cholinergic nerve fibres containing vesicular acetylcholine transporter VAChT in the human and rat central nervous system and rat enteric nervous system We have examined whether CHT1 immunoreactivity is present in nerve fibres in human intestine and whether it is colocalised with markers of cholinergic tachykinergic or nitrergic circuitry Human ileum and colon were fixed sectioned and processed for fluorescence immunohistochemistry with antibodies against CHT1 class III betatubulin TUJ1 synaptophysin common choline acetyltransferase cChAT VAChT nitric oxide synthase NOS substance P SP and vasoactive intestinal peptide VIP CHT1 immunoreactivity was present in many nerve fibres in the circular and longitudinal muscle myenteric and submucosal ganglia submucosa and mucosa in human colon and ileum and colocalised with immunoreactivity for TUJ1 and synaptophysin confirming its presence in nerve fibres In nerve fibres in myenteric ganglia and muscle CHT1 immunoreactivity colocalised with immunoreactivity for VAChT and cChAT Some colocalisation occurred with SP immunoreactivity but little with immunoreactivity for VIP or NOS In the mucosa CHT1 immunoreactivity colocalised with that for VIP and SP in nerve fibres and was also present in vascular nerve fibres in the submucosa and on epithelial cells on the luminal border of crypts The colocalisation of CHT1 immunoreactivity with VAChT immunoreactivity in cholinergic enteric nerves in the human bowel thus suggests that CHT1 represents another marker of cholinergic nervesThis project was supported by NHMRC Senior Research Fellowship BRS and Project grants grant number 216704 114215 Murdoch Childrens Research Institute MCRI project grants a Gastroenterology Society of Australia Fellowship and a University of Melbourne Postgraduate Award AMH
Keywords: