Alterations in the distributory pattern of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide immunoreactivity in the ischemic intestines of dogs

Abstract

Alterations in the distribution of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) in normal and ischemic small intestines of dogs were studied by using conventional transmission electron microscope, and immunohistochemistry for light and electron microscopy. At the light microscopic level, immunoreactivity was evident in the intestinal ganglionic cells of control segments. At the electron microscopic level using a pre-embedding method, the entire cytoplasm of the ganglionic cells in the control segments was filled with VIP immunoreactive products, while the post-embedding experiment showed positive reactions only within the VIP granules and Golgi vesicles. After 30 min of ischemia, immunoreactivity was greatly decreased in the ganglionic cells and a large amount of VIP immunoreactive product appeared in the striated border of epithelial cells and in nerve fibers of the subepithelial layer. These results suggest that intestinal ischemia might lead to the release of VIP, which seems to bind to the microvillus membrane of epithelial cells. The relationship between the changes in VIP distribution and its protecting mechanisms of ischemic damage is discussed.