American journal of physiology. Gastrointestinal and liver physiology
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Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. · Apr 2014
Fat deposition in the tunica muscularis and decrease of interstitial cells of Cajal and nNOS-positive neuronal cells in the aged rat colon.
Little is known about the time course of aging on interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) of colon. The aim of this study was to investigate the change of morphology, ICC, and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS)-immunoreactive cells in the aged rat. The proximal colon of 344 Fischer rats at four different ages (6, 31, 74 wk, and 2 yr) were studied. ⋯ The area of intramuscular fat deposition significantly increased with age after 31 wk. c-Kit-immunoreactive ICC and nNOS-immunoreactive neurons and nerve fibers significantly declined with age. mRNA and protein expression of c-kit and nNOS decreased with aging. The functional study showed that the spontaneous contractility was decreased in aged rat, whereas EFS responses in the presence of atropine and L-NG-Nitroarginine methyl ester were increased in aged rat. In conclusion, the decrease of proportion of proper smooth muscle, the density of ICC and nNOS-immunoreactive neuronal fibers, and the number of nNOS-immunoreactive neurons during the aging process may explain the aging-associated colonic dysmotility.