Interstitial cells of Cajal, enteric neurons, and smooth muscle and myoid cells of the murine gastrointestinal tract express full-length dystrophin

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• 作者：Maria-Giuliana Vannucchi ; Claudio Zardo ; Letizia Corsani and Maria-Simonetta Faussone-Pellegrini
• 刊名：Histochemistry and Cell Biology
• 出版年：2002
• 出版时间：December 2002
• 年：2002
• 卷：118
• 期：6
• 页码：449-457
• 全文大小：551 KB
• 刊物类别：Medicine
• 刊物主题：Medicine & Public Health
  Anatomy
  Medicine/Public Health, general
  
• 出版者：Springer Berlin / Heidelberg
• ISSN：1432-119X

文摘

A gene located on the X chromosome is responsible for the transcription of several mRNA and related dystrophin isoforms. Lack or truncated expression of the 427-kDa, full-length isoform in skeletal muscle results in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Patients with DMD, as well as mdx mice, a mutant strain also lacking this isoform, show gastrointestinal dismotilities. The present aim was to identify the cell types that express full-length dystrophin in the gastrointestinal tract. An immunohistochemical study was performed using an antibody specific for this isoform, and double labelings were made for interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) identification and to verify whether all neurons express full-length dystrophin. Three different fixation procedures were used. The results showed that ICC, enteric neurons, and smooth muscle and myoid cells expressed full-length dystrophin. In ICC and neurons, dystrophin-immunoreactive patches were irregularly distributed at the cell contour and within the cytoplasm. In smooth muscle and myoid cells, regularly spaced dystrophin-immunoreactive bars were located along the cell contour. Labeling intensity varied according to fixation procedure. The different subcellular distributions of dystrophin immunoreactivity might reflect diverse roles played by full-length isoforms in each cell type. Dystrophin loss in cells involved in gastrointestinal motility might explain the gastrointestinal symptomatology affecting DMD patients and mdx mice.