Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P10721 (c-kit)
 6,575 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Observation of whole mount stretch preparations using the zinc-iodide-osmic acid method reveals a wide variety of interstitial cells in different tissue layers of the guinea-pig small intestine. And a subsequent electron-microscopic examination and survey of references makes clear that the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) depicted in original drawings of Cajal are heterogeneous and correspond to different types of interstitial cells. The myenteric ICC are characterized by long dichotomous branching processes which constitute cellular networks independent from the nerve plexus and form many gap junctions at their tips. Their ultrastructure is similar to that of fibroblasts and they have no basal lamina. The myenteric ICC show strong immunoreactivity for vimentin and the c-kit receptor, and probably correspond to the intestinal pacemaker cells. Within the circular muscle layer, ICC are represented by the cells that are closely associated with fine nerve bundles. The ICC have various shapes, ranging from bipolar to stellate, depending on the running pattern of the nerve fibers that they are associated with. They show fibroblast-like ultrastructure and have no basal lamina. They form gap junctions with smooth muscle cells and are immunoreactive for vimentin. On the other hand, ICC associated with the deep muscular plexus described in the guinea-pig by Cajal could not be clearly identified. However, it is suggested that the ICC in this location may correspond to glycogen-rich cells possessing a basal lamina. Although they show a fairly well-developed rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus and immunoreactivity for vimentin, ICC of the deep muscular plexus are probably specialized smooth muscle cells in nature.
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PMID:Identification of the interstitial cells of Cajal. 883 65

Interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) of the guinea-pig small intestine were studied with whole-mount preparations by using the zinc iodide-osmic acid method (ZIO) and immunohistochemistry for vimentin and c-kit receptor tyrosine kinase, and by electron microscopy. The myenteric ICC visualized with ZIO staining are immunopositive to both anti-c-kit antibody (ACK-2) and anti-vimentin antibody (V9), and constitute an independent cellular network from the myenteric plexus. Those cells are characterized by many mitochondria, abundant intermediate filaments, and surface cell membranes not covered with a basal lamina. They are connected with each other by gap junctions at tips of the cytoplasmic processes. It is concluded that the myenteric ICC of the guinea-pig intestine are fibroblast-like cells and that they correspond to the c-kit expressing cells regarded as the intestinal pacemaker.
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PMID:Anti-c-kit protein immunoreactive cells corresponding to the interstitial cells of Cajal in the guinea-pig small intestine. 894 37

We have developed a new method that allows isolation of highly purified type A spermatogonia from prepubertal rats. The procedure is based on the maximal release of spermatogonia from the seminiferous epithelium obtained by the complete enzymatic digestion of the tubular basal lamina, followed by removal of contaminating somatic cells through adhesion to plastic dishes coated with the lectin Datura stramonium agglutinin and fractionation on a discontinuous Percoll gradient. The cell suspension obtained contains up to 85% type A spermatogonia. Besides morphological criteria, the identification of germ cells and somatic cells has been performed by means of immunocytochemical markers, such as c-kit receptor, which is present only in germ cells, and vimentin, which is present only in somatic cells. All type A spermatogonia isolated were c-kit positive, thus suggesting that c-kit receptor is present in both undifferentiated and differentiating type A spermatogonia. Preliminary culture experiments demonstrate that spermatogonia survival in vitro was significantly improved by the addition of 10% fetal calf serum or horse serum to the culture medium; however, optimal culture conditions remain to be established. In vitro studies on isolated spermatogonia may provide a significant contribution toward elucidation of the mechanisms regulating spermatogonial proliferation and differentiation.
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PMID:Isolation of highly purified type A spermatogonia from prepubertal rat testis. 901 2

The case of a 62-year-old man who presented with acute abdominal pain and a widespread tumor involving the retroperitoneum is described. Three weeks after initial presentation, the patient died suddenly of acute cardiac failure with signs of arrhythmia. Autopsy revealed a disseminated tumor with infiltration of the retroperitoneal fat, as well as nodules in the left testis and the right atrium. The tumor cells were reactive for CD45, vimentin, and chloroacetate esterase, but were unreactive with a broad spectrum of antibodies against myelomonocytic and lymphocytic antigens and with antibodies against tryptase and c-kit (CD117), which are characteristic markers for mast cells. However, the bone marrow exhibited the typical picture of mastocytosis, with disseminated clusters of differentiated spindle-shaped cells that stained strongly for tryptase, c-kit, and chloroacetate esterase. No infiltrates of well-differentiated mastocytosis could be detected in any of the extramedullary tissues investigated. A diagnosis of bone marrow mastocytosis with an associated undifferentiated extramedullary tumor of hemopoietic origin was established. By definition, the extramedullary tumor could not be diagnosed as a granulocytic sarcoma or (differentiated) mastocytoma, but the possibility that a mast cell progenitor could be involved in the evolution of both tumors cannot be ruled out.
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PMID:Bone marrow mastocytosis associated with an undifferentiated extramedullary tumor of hemopoietic origin. 914 Mar 15

The case of a 63-year-old man with a widespread retroperitoneal tumor and two tumor nodules in the left testis is described. Histopathological and cytopathological examination of tissue from the retroperitoneal tumor led to a diagnosis of lymphoreticular neoplasia. The patient died in acute cardiac failure, five weeks after initial presentation. Autopsy revealed another tumor nodule in the right atrium. Macroscopically, the bone marrow appeared normal. The tumor cells were reactive for CD45, vimentin and chloroacetate esterase, but were uncreative with a broad spectrum of antibodies against myelomonocytic and lymphocytic antigens and antibodies against tryptase and c-kit (CD117), characteristic markers for mast cells. However, the bone marrow exhibited the typical picture of mastocytosis. A diagnosis of bone marrow mastocytosis with an associated secondary extramedullary mast cell sarcoma was established. The cause of death was heart failure due to arrhythmia caused by an exophytic atrioseptal tumor nodule.
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PMID:[Association of bone marrow mastocytosis with extremely immature extramedullary mast cell sarcoma]. 927 45

Antiperistalses occur from the flexure region of the guinea pig colon. We previously demonstrated that the circular muscle at the mesenteric border of the flexure region produced spontaneous regular contractions and found special smooth muscle cells believed to be pacemakers along the submucosal surface of the circular muscle layer. In this study, we revealed bipolar- and multipolar-type special smooth muscle cells along the submucosal surface of the muscle layer. Their slender cell processes contacted each other and formed a cellular network. Caveolae, filament structures expressing smooth muscle actin, vimentin, some desmin, and basal lamina were prominent features. The special smooth muscle cells corresponded to c-Kit-immunopositive cells and so-called interstitial cells or interstitial cells of Cajal in other reports. Their population was larger in the flexure region and the proximal colon than in the distal colon. The circular muscle layer at the flexure region was thicker than in other regions. The contraction in the flexure region showed the highest frequency and regularity. The dense population of special smooth muscle cells at the flexure region and thicker muscle layer may make the mechanical contraction more regular. The antiperistalsis from the flexure region could be explained in relation to the highest frequency of the pulsating contraction.
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PMID:Special smooth muscle cells along the submucosal surface of the guinea pig colon with reference to its spontaneous contractions. 963 6

Recent studies have suggested that enteric inhibitory neurotransmission is mediated via interstitial cells of Cajal in some gastrointestinal tissues. This study describes the physical relationships between enteric neurons and interstitial cells of Cajal in the deep muscular plexus (IC-DMP) of the guinea-pig small intestine. c-Kit and vimentin were colocalized in the cell bodies and fine cellular processes of interstitial cells of the deep muscular plexus. Anti-vimentin antibodies were subsequently used to examine the relationships of interstitial cells with inhibitory motor neurons (as identified by nitric oxide synthase-like immunoreactivity) and excitatory motor neurons (using substance P-like immunoreactivity). Neurons with nitric oxide synthase- and substance P-like immunoreactivities were closely associated with the cell bodies of interstitial cells and ramified along their processes for distances greater than 300 micrometer. With transmission electron microscopy, we noted close relationships between interstitial cells and the nitric oxide synthase- and substance P-like immunoreactive axonal varicosities. Varicosities of nitric oxide synthase and substance P neurons were found as close as 20 and 25 nm from interstitial cells, respectively. Specialized junctions with increased electron density of pre- and postsynaptic membranes were observed at close contact points between nitric oxide synthase- and substance P-like immunoreactive neurons and interstitial cells. Close structural relationships (approximately 25 nm) were also occasionally observed between either nitric oxide synthase- and substance P-like immunoreactive varicosities and smooth muscle cells of the outer circular muscle layer. The data suggest that interstitial cells in the deep muscle plexus are heavily innervated by excitatory and inhibitory enteric motor neurons. Thus, these interstitial cells may provide an important, but probably not exclusive, pathway for nerve-muscle communication in the small intestine.
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PMID:Intimate relationship between interstitial cells of cajal and enteric nerves in the guinea-pig small intestine. 993 71

The spleen has two main functions. The first is to provide a proper microenvironment to lymphoid and myeloid cells, whereas the second involves clearance of abnormal erythrocytes. Ad4BP/SF-1, a product of the mammalian FTZ-F1 gene (mFTZ-F1), was originally identified as a steroidogenic, tissue-specific transcription factor. Immunohistochemical examination of the mammalian spleens confirmed the expression of Ad4BP/SF-1 in endothelial cells of the splenic venous sinuses and pulp vein. In mFtz-F1 gene-disrupted (KO) mice, several structural abnormalities were detected in the spleen, including underdevelopment and nonuniform distribution of erythrocytes. Examination of the spleen of KO fetuses showed failure of development of certain tubular structures during embryogenesis. These structures are normally assembled by Ad4BP/SF-1 immunoreactive cells, and most likely form the vascular system during later stages of development. Other structural abnormalities in the spleen of the KO mice included defects in the tissue distribution of type-IV collagen, laminin, c-kit, and vimentin. These morphologic defects in the vascular system were associated with a decrease in the proportion of hematopoietic cells, although differentiation of these cells was not affected significantly. A high number of abnormal red blood cells containing Howell-Jolly bodies were noted in the KO mice, indicating impaired clearance by the splenic vascular system. We also detected the presence of an mRNA-encoding cholesterol side-chain cleavage P450 in the spleen, resembling the findings in steroidogenic tissues such as the gonads and adrenal cortex. The mRNA transcript was not involved in splenic structural defects as it was detected in the spleens of both normal and KO mice, indicating that the regulatory mechanism of the P450 gene in the spleen is different from that in steroidogenic tissues. Our results indicate that a lack of the mFtz-F1 gene in mice is associated with structural and functional abnormalities of the splenic vascular system.
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PMID:Structural and functional abnormalities in the spleen of an mFtz-F1 gene-disrupted mouse. 1002 87

The tissue-specific expression of connexin subtypes in gap junctions between the interstitial cells and smooth muscle cells in the submuscular plexus of the colon has a functional importance in relation to intestinal pacemaker activity. Immunocytochemical observations of two types of connexin molecules, connexin43 and connexin45, were made with a confocal laser scanning microscope on cryosections of freshly frozen dog, guinea pig, mouse and rat proximal colon. Connexin43 immunoreactivity appeared as a series of dots along the submuscular plexus of guinea pig and dog. In contrast, connexin43 immunoreactivity was not found in mouse and rat colon. Connexin43 immunoreactivity was not observed in the colon muscular layer in the four animal species examined. In double-stained materials with a marker for either vimentin or smooth muscle actin, connexin43 immunoreactivity was colocalized with vimentin immunoreactivity, whereas it was not with either smooth muscle actin immunoreactivity or phalloidin reactivity. This indicated that the connexin43-expressing cells possess a vimentin-positive fibroblast-like nature rather than a smooth muscle-like one. In addition, in guinea pig colon, connexin43 immunoreactivity colocalized with c-Kit immunoreactivity. In conclusion, network-forming cells are connected by connexin43 gap junctions in the submuscular plexus of guinea pig and dog colon, most likely indicating that interstitial cells act as an intestinal pacemaker and conductive system.
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PMID:Connexin43 expression in network-forming cells at the submucosal-muscular border of guinea pig and dog colon. 1046 Sep 69

Recent studies on the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) have determined ultrastructural criteria for the identification of these previously enigmatic cells. This review deals with the electron microscopic findings obtained by the author's research group in different tissue regions of the gut in mice, rats and guinea-pigs, comparing these with reports from other groups in different species and in humans. ICC are characterized by the following morphological criteria: numerous mitochondria, abundant intermediate filaments and large gap junctions which connect the cells with each other and with smooth muscle cells. Due to their location in the gut and the specific species, the ICC are markedly heterogeneous in appearance, ranging from cells closely resembling smooth muscle cells to those similar to fibroblasts (Table 1). Nevertheless, the above-mentioned morphological features are shared by all types of ICC and serve in identifying them. Recent discoveries on a significant role of c- kit in the maturation of the ICC and their specific immunoreactivity to anti-c-Kit antibody have confirmed the view that the ICC comprise an independent and specific entity of cells. This view is reinforced by the findings of the author's group that the ICC characteristically possess vimentin filaments and are stained with the zinc iodide-osmium tetroxide method which provides a staining affinity similar to methylene blue, the dye used in the original work by Cajal, (1911). Developmental studies indicate that the ICC are derived from a non-neuronal, mesenchymal origin. This paper further reviews advances in the physiological studies on the ICC, in support of the hypothesis by THUNEBERG (1982) that they function as a pacemaker in the digestive tract and a mediator transmitting impulses from the nerve terminals to the smooth muscle cells.
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PMID:Ultrastructural characterization of the interstitial cells of Cajal. 1059 41


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