Segmental distribution of colonic neuropeptides in Hirschsprung's disease

Despite continued research, the pathophysiologic mechanism responsible for functional obstruction in the aganglionic segment of bowel in Hirschsprung's disease remains controversial. Narrowing of the affected segment is thought by many investigators to be the result of loss of intrinsic inhibitory innervation. For this hypothesis to be consistent, inhibitory neuropeptides should be present in the dilating, transitional segment of bowel. In order to quantitate reported changes in peptidergic nerve staining in Hirschsprung's disease, we measured concentrations of five neuropeptides (vasoactive intestinal peptide, peptide histidine-methionine, met5-enkephalin, substance P and bombesin-like immunoreactivity) by radioimmunoassay in the affected segments of bowel from six patients with Hirschsprung's disease. Tissue extracts were prepared using gut obtained at surgery from the: (1) constricted, aganglionic segment, (2) dilating, aganglionic transitional segment and (3) dilated, proximal ganglionic segment. Concentrations of vasoactive intestinal peptide, peptide histidine-methionine, substance P and met5-enkephalin were significantly reduced in both the muscularis externa and the mucosal-submucosal layers from the constricted aganglionic segment. By contrast, concentrations of the candidate inhibitory neuropeptides, vasoactive intestinal peptide and peptide histidine-methionine, were minimally reduced in the dilating, aganglionic transitional segment. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that constriction of the aganglionic segment is due to loss of intrinsic inhibitory innervation. Concentrations of bombesin-like immunoreactivity were similar in the three segments of human gut, suggesting the presence of this immunoreactive neuropeptide in extrinsic nerve fibers.