Archives of Biological Sciences (Jan 2023)

Distribution of interstitial cells of Cajal and nerve fibers in rat stomach in streptozotocin-nicotinamide-induced diabetes mellitus

  • Veličkov Aleksandra I.,
  • Petrović Vladimir,
  • Đorđević Branka,
  • Veličkov Asen V.,
  • Petrović Aleksandar,
  • Lazarević Milica,
  • Cvetković Julija

DOI
https://doi.org/10.2298/ABS230220012V
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 75, no. 2
pp. 141 – 154

Abstract

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Diabetic peristalsis disorders are common complications in diabetes mellitus type 2. Disturbance of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) caused by metabolic changes in diabetes could explain the symptoms of diabetic gastroenteropathy. Although heterogenous interstitial cell types represent only 5% of the cell population of the muscle layer in the gastrointestinal tract (GIT), they are important for conducting electrical signals and regulating muscle excitability. The aim of this study was to investigate the alterations of the myenteric and intramuscular ICCs in the gaster of rats with diabetes mellitus type 2 (DMT2), as well as determine their distribution in relation to smooth muscle cells and enteric nerve structures. Male Wistar rats were used and DT2 was induced by streptozotocin-nicotinamide (STZ-NA) application. The stomach specimens were exposed to type III transmembrane tyrosine kinase (c-KIT), neurofilament (NF-M) protein and desmin antibodies to investigate the ICC, enteric neurons and smooth muscle cells. Morphological changes of the cells were quantified by the numerical areal density of intramuscular ICC, the ICC score of myenteric ICC and the volume density of nerve fibers. In conclusion, a statistically significant decrease in the number of intramuscular ICC and myenteric ICC without nerve fiber loss were observed in all stomach regions in rats with STZ-NA-induced DMT2.

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