Abstract
In this study, we investigated the neural changes and their relationships with interstitial cells (ICs) in the rumen of pre-weaning goats by transmission electron microscopy, western blot and immunofluorescence (antibody: general neuronal marker-Protein Gene Product (PGP9.5)/ IC marker-vimentin). The immunofluorescence results showed that PGP9.5-positive reaction was widely distributed in neuronal soma (NS) and nerve fibre (NF). The NSs were observed in the ganglia of the myenteric plexus (MP) but not in the submucosal plexus. The mean optical density (MOD) of the whole of PGP9.5-positive nerves and the protein expression level of PGP.5 in the rumen wall both decreased significantly with age. However an obvious increase MOD of PGP.5-positive NFs within the rumen epithelium were observed. In the MP, the nerves and ICs were interwoven to form two complex networks that gradually tightened with age. Furthermore, NSs and nerve trunks were surrounded by a ring-boundary layer consisting of several ICs that became physically closer with aging. Moreover, ICs were located nearby NFs within the ML, forming connections between ICs, smooth muscle cells and axons. This study describes the pattern of neural distribution and its association with ICs in the developing rumen which shed light on the postpartum development of ruminants.
Highlights
The enteric nervous system (ENS), known as intrinsic nervous system (INS) comprises the intrinsic neural circuits of the gastrointestinal tract (GI)
In the 5-day group, PGP9.5-immunoreactivity was mainly observed in nerve fibre (NF) within mucosa, muscular layer (CM and LM) and myenteric plexus (MP) of the rumen, while almost all PGP9.5-positive ganglial neuronal soma (NS) appeared as small groups of cells connected by their projections in the MP (Figure 1A-d)
Neural distribution pattern in the rumen wall of goat during the early pre-weaning was different from that reported in the forestomach of ruminants [25,26,27,28,29,30] or the GI of non-ruminants [8, 31,32,33]
Summary
The enteric nervous system (ENS), known as intrinsic nervous system (INS) comprises the intrinsic neural circuits of the gastrointestinal tract (GI). It regulates most aspects of GI physiology such as peristalsis, blood supply to the gut wall and secretion [1]. The complex architecture and function of the nervous system arises from neurogenesis and development [2, 3]. Mean-while, mesoderm mesenchymal cells differentiate into smooth muscle cells and interstitial cells, which is important for the postpartum development of INS for their cross-talk between smooth muscle cells/interstitial cells and INS frequently [5, 6]. The enteric neurogenesis lasts for several weeks after the birth [7, 8]
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