Cholinesterases and monoamine oxidase in congenital megacolon

The Internal Anal Sphincter Response: Manometric Studies on Its Normal Physiology, Neural Pathways, and Alteration in Bowel Disorders*

“…In addition, the outer muscular layer of that segment showed markedly increased staining for cholinesterase (33).…”

“…Another possible explanation lies in the demonstration by both chemical and histochemical technics that there is no decrease in the content of either true cholinesterase or pseudocholinesterase in the aganglionic bowel of Hirschsprung's disease (31). These enzymes have been shown to be concentrated in hypertrophied nerve fibers (axons) that are present in normal or increased numbers in the aganglionic segment (31)(32)(33). It is possible that the sphincter muscle may be actively fired by acetylcholine derived from naked nerve endings in the absence of ganglion cells.…”

Some observations on the intrinsic nervous mechanism in Hirschsprung's disease

“…Kamijo et al (1953) and Niemi et al (1961) found that the content of acetylcholinesterase was increased in the spastic segment but no increase was detected by Adams et al (1960). Locally released substances, which are believed not to be putative neurotransmitters, could also be responsible for the hypertonus of the smooth muscle in the spastic segment.…”

“…Most recent investigations have been carried out on the distribution of adrenergic nerves in the smooth muscle layers and on the qualitative and quantitative modifications of cholinergic bundles of nerve fibres (Smith, 1967;Bennett, Garrett, and Howard, 1968;Gannon, Noblet, and Burnstock, 1969;Howard and Garrett, 1970a;Weinberg, 1970). Since the earliest histochemical observations on Hirschsprung's disease it has been recognized that the most striking feature in the aganglionic segment is the increase in number and size of intramural cholinergic fibres (Bodian, Carter, and Ward, 1951;Niemi, Kouvalainen, and Hjelt, 1961;Howard and Nixon, 1968;Garrett and Howard, 1969;Howard and Garrett, 1970b). However, little information exists about the activity of intramural nerves in Hirschsprung's disease with regard both to the relationships between the nervous elements and the functioning of the neuroeffector junction (Ehrenpreis, 1970).…”

Chagas disease of the colon and rectum

“…Rectal longitudinal muscle was unaffected by DMPP (50 ,ag/ml) in contradistinction to the biphasic response usually obtained from this tissue in other pathological conditions. Noradrenaline Longitudinal muscle from both sig- The slopes of the response curves to acetylcholine suggest that the muscle coats were contracting normally to cholinergic stimuli (Niemi, Kouvalainen, and Hjelt, 1961;Pearse, 1960;and Vieira, de Godoy, and Carril, 1964). Electrical stimulation of the circular sigmoid muscle caused contractions.…”