Identification of C-Kit-Positive Interstitial Cells in the Dog Lower Urinary Tract and Relationship with Smooth Muscle and Nerves. Hypotheses for a Likely Pacemaker Role.
Figure 2
[(a), (b), (c)] Dog bladder, c-kit, and actin double immunofluorescence. Two green-labelled c-kit-IF cells can be seen in the bladder musculature (a). Anti-actin-IF smooth muscle bundles of the detrusor are rhodamine redstained (b). Superimposed image (c) demonstrates the localization of ICs in close association with the smooth muscle cells. [(d), (e), (f)] Bitch bladder, c-kit, and PGP9.5 double immunofluorescence. One green-labelled c-kit-IF cell (d) is present in the bladder muscular layer. Anti-PGP9.5-IF nerve fibres are rhodamine redstained (e). Overlay shows the close association of the IC and a PGP9,5-positive nerve fibre [(f), arrow]. [(g), (h), (i)] Bitch bladder, c-kit and NOS-I double immunofluorescence. Green-labelled c-kit-IF cells (g) are present in the bladder muscular layer. Anti-NOS-I-IF nerve fibres are rhodamine redstained (h). Overlay shows that ICs and nitrergic nerve fibres are closely associated (i). Scale bars = 25 m.
