CGRPα Expression Defines a Novel Subset of Putative Intrinsic Primary Afferent Neurons in the Enteric Nervous System

The distribution of immunoreactivity (IR) was determined by confocal microscopic imaging.Results: Ano10-IR was found to be present in neuronal cell bodies outside of the nucleus.Ano10-IR was present in 100% of HuC/D-positive neurons of the myenteric and submucosal plexuses.Ano10-IR was not found in ICC of the myenteric region; however, there was colocalization of Ano10-IR with Kit-IR on ICC of the deep muscularis plexus (ICC-DMP).Ano10-IR also colocalized with F4/80-IR present on resident macrophages in the region of the myenteric plexus.100% of F4/80-IR colocalized with Ano10-IR.Conclusions: Immunoreactivity for Ano10 is present in all types of myenteric and submucosal neurons and in all resident macrophages.Ano10-IR was present in a subset of ICC, specifically ICC-DMP but not ICC in the myenteric plexus.Given the putative role of Ano10 as a regulator of intracellular Ca 2+ , Ano10 may play a role both in regulation of gastrointestinal motility via neurons and ICC-DMP, as well as immunological responses via resident macrophages.