U. Keranen et al., COLOCALIZATION OF NADPH DIAPHORASE REACTIVITY AND VASOACTIVE INTESTINAL POLYPEPTIDE IN HUMAN COLON, Journal of the autonomic nervous system, 54(3), 1995, pp. 177-183
Nitric oxide-containing nervous structures were localized in the human
colon using NADPH diaphorase activity and nitric oxide synthase immun
oreactivity. We found some, solitary NADPH diaphorase-reactive and nit
ric oxide synthase-immunoreactive neurons in the submucous plexus, whi
le the myenteric plexus contained several neurons, often arranged in c
lusters, and nerve fibers showing these markers. The circular muscle l
ayer contained a dense plexus of NADPH diaphorase-reactive nerves, whi
ch was greater than that in the longitudinal muscle layer. We report o
n co-localization of NADPH diaphorase activity and VIP immunoreactivit
y in several neurons of the myenteric ganglia. Such co-localization ha
s not been reported previously for human colon. Localization Of nitric
oxide synthase and VIP in the myenteric plexus and in the nerves of c
ircular muscle layer raises the possibility that nitric oxide contribu
tes to the regulation of motility in the human colon.