Trypanosomiasis-Induced Megacolon Illustrates How Myenteric Neurons Modulate the Risk for Colon Cancer in Rats and Humans
Fig 3
Myenteric neuronal denervation and colon preneoplastic lesions in rats.
(A) Illustrative pictures for normal (A.1) and preneoplastic (A.2; severe dysplasia) colon tissues from a carcinogen-exposed rat. (B) Illustrative pictures for normal (B.1) and degenerated (B.2) myenteric plexus in uninfected (B.1) and infected T. cruzi rats (B.2). Black arrow shows a myenteric neuron, while red arrow leads to a myenteric glial cell. Blue arrow shows a myenteric degenerated neuron. Black-red arrow leads to a myenteric degenerated glial cell. (C) Total (T.) numbers of colon dysplastic lesions per mm2 are shown in carcinogen-exposed groups (DMH, 1,2 dimethylhidrazine; BAC, benzalkonium chloride; **P<0.01 vs DMH). (D) Myenteric (M.) neuronal density was determined the number of myenteric neurons per total (T.) number of colonic crypts in each sample (*P<0.05 vs DMH). Significance in the C and D graphs was analyzed by the Two-way ANOVA with Bonferroni’s posttest. (E) T. numbers of colon dysplastic lesions per mm2 are shown in carcinogen-exposed groups (#P<0.05 vs D; **P<0.01 vs DH). (F) M. neuronal density was determined the number of myenteric neurons per T. number of colonic crypts in each sample (##P<0.01 vs D; *P<0.05 vs DH). Significance in the E and F graphs was analyzed by the One-way ANOVA with Dunn’s posttest. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. Values are shown as the mean ± standard deviation.