Effects of bitter almond on interstitial cells of Cajal in old rats with slow-transit constipation / 中华老年医学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To study effects of bitter almond on interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) in old rats with slow-transit constipation (STC) and analyze mechanism of the gut purge of bitter almond.Methods Forty-five old SD rats were randomly divided into blank control group,model control group,bitter almond-treated group randomly (n=15,each).Compound phenanthroline was used to build the model of STC model.The bitter almond-treated group was given with bitter almond apozem,the other two groups were given with the same amount of saline.After 10 days,the carbon powder propulsion rates in the intestine were measured and specimens were taken.The ICC changes in terms of the number and distribution were observed by immunohistochemical method.The protein and mRNA expressions of c-kit in ICC were measured by Western blot and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR).Results Compared with blank control group [(68.6 ± 6.0) ％,the carbon powder propulsion rates in the intestine in model control group[(47.7±± 1.7)％]were declined (P＜ 0.01).The areas of c-kit positive cell in colon were declined[(638.0 ± 23.5) μm2 vs.(723.7 ± 30.8)μm2]in model vs.blank control (P＜0.05).The mRNA expression of c-kit gene in ICC was declined [(0.3±0.1) vs.(1.0±0.1)] (P＜0.05),the expression of c-kit protein in ICC were declined[(0.2±0.2) vs.(0.5±0.2)] (P＜0.05).Compared with model control group[(47.7± 1.7)％],the carbon powder propulsion rates in the intestine in bitter almond group were increased[(63.4± 3.3)％ vs.] (P ＜0.01).The mRNA expression of c-kit gene in ICC were increased in bitter almond group (0.9 ±0.2) vs model control group[[(0.3±0.1)] (P＜ 0.01).The expression of c-kit protein in ICC were increased in bitter almond group[(0.5±0.3) vs.in model control 0.2±0.2)] (P＜0.01).Conclusions The bitter almond can promote the expression of c-kit mRNA and protein in colonic tissue of old STC rat interstitial and repair a fraction of ICC of STC rat interstitial,which promote intestinal peristalsis in slow-transit constipation rats.