AJP - Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology, Vol 265, Issue 4 638-G645, Copyright © 1993 by American Physiological Society

ARTICLES

Interstitial cells in deep muscular plexus of canine small intestine may be specialized smooth muscle cells

S. Torihashi, S. Kobayashi, W. T. Gerthoffer and K. M. Sanders
Department of Anatomy, Nagoya University School of Medicine, Japan.

The fine structures and properties of cells between the inner and outer circular muscle layers in the canine small intestine were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), immunocytochemistry, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A nerve plexus (deep muscular plexus) supported by enteroglial cells, fibroblasts around blood vessels, macrophages, and thin and branched cells previously identified as interstitial cells of Cajal was observed. The interstitial cells of the deep muscular plexus (IC-DMP) were rich in mitochondria, dense bodies, and caveolae, and they were closely associated with nerve fibers. The IC-DMP had incomplete basal laminae. These cells also had numerous interconnecting gap junctions, and they also formed gap junctions with the surrounding smooth muscle cells of the outer circular muscle layer. IC-DMP were rich in myofilaments, which were primarily actin thin filaments, but myosin thick filaments, identified with anti-myosin light-chain antibodies, were also apparent. IC-DMP and circular smooth muscle cells both expressed immunoreactivity to anti-smooth muscle actin antisera, but these two types of cells differed in their intermediate filament proteins: IC-DMP featured vimentin immunopositive filaments, and circular smooth muscle cells featured desmin immunoreactivity. SEM showed that IC-DMP had thin and flat cell bodies with numerous branching processes. These cells came into close contact with nerve fibers and circular smooth muscle cells. The findings that IC-DMP cells contained myosin thick filaments and were immunopositive for anti-smooth muscle actin suggest that they may be more properly categorized as a type of smooth muscle cell.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				H. Chen, T. Ordog, J. Chen, D. L. Young, M. R. Bardsley, D. Redelman, S. M. Ward, and K. M. Sanders Differential gene expression in functional classes of interstitial cells of Cajal in murine small intestine Physiol Genomics, November 14, 2007; 31(3): 492 - 509. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				G. Song, G David, S Hirst, K. M Sanders, and S. M Ward Regional variation in ICC distribution, pacemaking activity and neural responses in the longitudinal muscle of the murine stomach J. Physiol., April 15, 2005; 564(2): 523 - 540. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X.-Y. Wang, S. M. Ward, W. T. Gerthoffer, and K. M. Sanders PKC-{epsilon} translocation in enteric neurons and interstitial cells of Cajal in response to muscarinic stimulation Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, August 8, 2003; 285(3): G593 - G601. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Porcher, Y. Julé, and M. Henry A Qualitative and Quantitative Study on the Enkephalinergic Innervation of the Pig Gastrointestinal Tract J. Histochem. Cytochem., March 1, 2000; 48(3): 333 - 344. [Abstract] [Full Text]

				M. Jimenez, J. R. Borderies, P. Vergara, Y.-F. Wang, and E. E. Daniel Slow waves in circular muscle of porcine ileum: structural and electrophysiological studies Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, February 1, 1999; 276(2): G393 - G406. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S.-M. Huang, S. Nakayama, S. Iino, and T. Tomita Voltage sensitivity of slow wave frequency in isolated circular muscle strips from guinea pig gastric antrum Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, February 1, 1999; 276(2): G518 - G528. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				E. E. Daniel, Y.-F. Wang, and F. S. Cayabyab Role of gap junctions in structural arrangements of interstitial cells of Cajal and canine ileal smooth muscle Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol, June 1, 1998; 274(6): G1125 - G1141. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]