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Calbindin-immunopositive cells are cholinergic interneurons in the myenteric plexus of rabbit ileum

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Abstract

The 28-kDa calcium-binding protein (calbindin) is a widely studied neuronal marker in the enteric nervous system of numerous species. Calbindin has previously been detected in myenteric neurons of rabbit ileum in which 3% of all myenteric neurons are calbindin-immunopositive. We have studied the detailed morphology and chemical coding of calbindin-immunopositive neurons in this segment of the gut. We have found calbindin immunoreactivity in both strongly and weakly stained neurons. Of these, the strongly immunoreactive neurons belong to the Dogiel type I category. These neurons project only to other ganglia and primary strands of the plexus and their processes never run to the muscle or mucosal layers. The neurons within this group are 29.5±6.6 μm in length and 14.7±3.8 μm in width. The second smaller group of immunoreactive cells (27%) label faintly and have different morphological properties. They are characterized by their round medium-sized cell bodies (long axis: 24.4±5.2 μm; short axis: 15.5±2.9 μm) and do not exhibit immunoreactivity either in their dendrites or in their axonal processes. Double-label studies show that all calbindin-immunopositive neurons lack immunoreactivity for nitric oxide synthase, vasoactive intestinal peptide and substance P but all are immunoreactive for the synthesizing enzyme of acetylcholine, choline acetyltransferase. Thus, populations of neurons containing calbindin are cholinergic interneurons in the myenteric plexus of rabbit ileum.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. E. Pintér and Á. Bánvölgyi for kindly providing the anti-substance P antibody and for the use of the epifluorescence microscope and digital analyser program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of General Zoology and Neurobiology, University of Pécs, Ifjúság u. 6, 7601, Pécs, Hungary

    Viktória Dénes & Robert Gábriel

  2. MTA-PTE Adaptational Biology Research Group, University of Pécs, Pécs, Hungary

    Robert Gábriel

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  1. Viktória Dénes
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  2. Robert Gábriel
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Correspondence to Robert Gábriel.

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This study was supported by grant OTKA T 34160

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Dénes, V., Gábriel, R. Calbindin-immunopositive cells are cholinergic interneurons in the myenteric plexus of rabbit ileum. Cell Tissue Res 318, 465–472 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-004-0931-5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00441-004-0931-5

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