The aims of this work were to determine whether cells that are similar to the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) and have immunoreactivity for the neurokinin 1 (NK1) receptor are indeed ICC; to determine whether the agonist, substance P, binds to and activates the receptor on presumptive ICC; and to investigate the relationship between substance P-immunoreactive nerve fibres and ICC. ICC at the level of the myenteric plexus and in the deep muscular plexus in the duodenum and ileum of the guinea-pig were investigated. Immunoreactivities for the ICC marker, Kit, and the NK1 receptor were colocalised in ICC of the myenteric and deep muscular plexuses. In tissue fixed immediately after its removal from the animal, NK1 receptor-immunoreactive ICC were found at the level of the myenteric plexus in the duodenum, but not in the ileum, and in the deep muscular plexus in the duodenum and ileum. The majority of receptor immunoreactivity was on the cell surface. ICC were exposed to substance P (10(-7) M), initially at 4 degrees C for 1 h to allow the agonist to bind, followed by incubation at 37 degrees C to allow receptor internalisation to proceed. Exposure to substance P caused the NK1 receptor immunoreactivity to aggregate in clumps in the cytoplasm of ICC of the myenteric and deep muscular plexuses, including the ICC of the myenteric plexus of the ileum, where NK1 receptor immunoreactivity was not seen if tissue was not exposed to substance P. Substance P, to which the fluorescent label, cyanine 3.18 (Cy-3), was coupled, bound to the ICC. The Cy-3-substance P was internalised with the receptor following warming to 37 degrees C. Many, but not all, ICC were closely apposed by nerve fibres with immunoreactivity for substance P. It is concluded that the NK1 receptor immunoreactivity on ICC represents receptor that is functional in the sense that it binds the natural agonist substance P and undergoes agonist-induced internalisation. ICC are likely to receive excitatory innervation from the close approaches of tachykinin-containing nerve fibres.

The effect of 8‐week streptozotocin‐induced diabetes has been examined on relaxations to non‐adrenergic, non‐cholinergic (NANC) nerve stimulation in longitudinal strips of rat gastric fundus. In the presence of noradrenergic and cholinergic blockade and raised tissue tone, electrical field stimulation (0.5‐4 Hz, 30 s trains) induced frequency‐dependent relaxations that were significantly smaller in gastric fundus strips from diabetic rats than in strips from control rats. NG‐nitro‐L‐arginine methyl ester (NAME, 100 μM) significantly reduced NANC relaxations in muscle strips from both control and diabetic rats, but the reduction was greater in muscle strips from diabetic rats than in those from control rats at frequencies of 2 and 4 Hz. α‐Chymotrypsin (1 u ml−1) slightly reduced relaxations to nerve stimulation in muscle strips from both control and diabetic rats. > The duration of NANC nerve relaxations (1‐4 Hz, 30 s trains) was smaller in muscle strips from diabetic rats than in those from control rats. The duration of NANC relaxations was reduced by α‐chymotrypsin (1 u ml−1) in muscle strips from control rats but not in muscle strips from diabetic rats. Relaxations to both nitric oxide (NO; 1–30 μM) and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP; 0.1‐30 μM) were concentration‐dependent and did not differ between muscle strips from control and diabetic rats. The results suggest that streptozotocin‐induced diabetes impairs relaxations to NANC nerve stimulation in the rat gastric fundus, which are largely mediated by NO and to a lesser extent by VIP. The impairment appears to occur at the prejunctional level, as smooth muscle reactivity to NO and VIP is not altered.

The localisation of NK(3) tachykinin receptors in guinea-pig ileum was studied using the fluorescently labelled agonists, Cy3. 5-neurokinin A and Cy3.5-kassinin. Binding to nerve cell bodies in the myenteric and submucosal plexuses was visualised using confocal microscopy. Binding to NK(1) receptors was blocked by the NK(1) receptor antagonist, CP-99994. NK(3) receptors, demonstrated by binding in the presence of CP-99994, occurred in 72% of myenteric and 38% of submucosal neurons. Colocalisation with other markers was examined to deduce the classes of neurons with NK(3) receptors. In myenteric ganglia, NK(3) receptors were present on the following: 73% of calbindin-immunoreactive (IR) intrinsic primary afferent neurons, 63% of calretinin-IR excitatory motor neurons and ascending interneurons, 63% of nitric oxide synthase-IR inhibitory motor neurons and descending interneurons, 79% of strongly neuropeptide Y (NPY)-IR secretomotor neurons, 67% of weakly NPY-IR descending interneurons and motor neurons, and 46% of NK(1) receptor-IR neurons. In submucosal ganglia, NK(3) receptors were on 65% of calretinin-IR secretomotor/vasodilator neurons, 81% of NPY-IR cholinergic secretomotor neurons, 2% of vasoactive intestinal peptide-IR non-cholinergic secretomotor neurons and were completely absent from substance P-IR intrinsic primary afferent neurons. The results support physiological studies suggesting that NK(3) receptors mediate tachykinin transmission between myenteric sensory neurons and to interneurons and/or motor neurons in descending inhibitory and ascending excitatory pathways.

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