Neurochemical Phenotypes of Myenteric Neurons in the Rhesus Monkey

• Type of Material: Article
• Authors: Ali Reza Noorian, Emory University; Georgia Taylor, Emory University; Dana M. Annerino, Emory University; James G Greene, Emory University
• Language: English
• Date: 2011-12-01
• Publisher: Wiley: 12 months
• Publication Version: Author Accepted Manuscript (After Peer Review)
• Copyright Statement: © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
• Final Published Version (URL): http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cne.22679/abstract;jsessionid=3953B1DD30CB8CBF9046B0CB7F20BCC4.f04t03
• Title of Journal or Parent Work: Journal of Comparative Neurology
• ISSN: 0021-9967
• Volume: 519
• Issue: 17
• Start Page: 3387
• End Page: 3401
• Grant/Funding Information: The Brain and Body Donation Program is supported by the National Institute on Aging (P30 AG19610 Arizona Alzheimer's Disease Core Center), the Arizona Department of Health Services (contract 211002, Arizona Alzheimer's Research Center), the Arizona Biomedical Research Commission (contracts 4001, 0011, and 05-901 to the Arizona Parkinson's Disease Consortium) and the Prescott Family Initiative of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research.; Grant sponsor: National Institutes of Health (NIH); Grant number: K08 NS048858 (to J.G.G.); Grant sponsor: Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (to J.G.G.).
• Keywords: vasoactive intestinal peptide; catecholamine; nitric oxide; enteric; gastrointestinal; acetylcholine
• Research Categories: Health Sciences, General; Biology, Neuroscience

Abstract

Understanding the neurochemical composition of the enteric nervous system (ENS) is critical for elucidating neurological function in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract in health and disease. Despite their status as the closest models of human neurological systems, relatively little is known about enteric neurochemistry in nonhuman primates. We describe neurochemical coding of the enteric nervous system, specifically the myenteric plexus, of the rhesus monkey (Macaca mulatta) by immunohistochemistry and directly compare it to human tissues. There are considerable differences in the myenteric plexus along different segments of the monkey GI tract. While acetylcholine neurons make up the majority of myenteric neurons in the stomach (70%), they are a minority in the rectum (47%). Conversely, only 22% of gastric myenteric neurons express nitric oxide synthase (NOS) compared to 52% in the rectum. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is more prominent in the stomach (37%) versus the rest of the GI tract (10%), and catecholamine neurons are rare (1%). There is significant coexpression of NOS and VIP in myenteric neurons that is more prominent in the proximal GI tract. Taken as a whole, these data provide insight into the neurochemical anatomy underlying GI motility. While overall similarity to other mammalian species is clear, there are some notable differences between the ENS of rhesus monkeys, humans, and other species that will be important to take into account when evaluating models of human diseases in animals.