Auckland Bioengineering Institute, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland 1142, New Zealand.
J R Soc Interface. 2013 Jun 26;10(86):20130421. doi: 10.1098/rsif.2013.0421. Print 2013 Sep 6.
Depletion of interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) networks is known to occur in several gastrointestinal motility disorders. Although confocal microscopy can effectively image and visualize the spatial distribution of ICC networks, current descriptors of ICC depletion are limited to cell numbers and volume computations. Spatial changes in ICC network structural properties have not been quantified. Given that ICC generate electrical signals, the organization of a network may also affect physiology. In this study, six numerical metrics were formulated to automatically determine complex ICC network structural properties from confocal images: density, thickness, hole size, contact ratio, connectivity and anisotropy. These metrics were validated and applied in proof-of-concept studies to quantitatively determine jejunal ICC network changes in mouse models with decreased (5-HT2B receptor knockout (KO)) and normal (Ano1 KO) ICC numbers, and during post-natal network maturation. Results revealed a novel remodelling phenomenon occurring during ICC depletion, namely a spatial rearrangement of ICC and the preferential longitudinal alignment. In the post-natal networks, an apparent pruning of the ICC network was demonstrated. The metrics developed here enabled the first detailed quantitative analyses of structural changes that may occur in ICC networks during depletion and development.
已知在几种胃肠道动力障碍中会发生 Cajal 间质细胞（ICC）网络的耗竭。尽管共聚焦显微镜可以有效地对 ICC 网络的空间分布进行成像和可视化，但目前 ICC 耗竭的描述符仅限于细胞数量和体积计算。ICC 网络结构特性的空间变化尚未被量化。鉴于 ICC 产生电信号，网络的组织也可能影响生理学。在这项研究中，提出了六个数值指标，用于从共聚焦图像中自动确定复杂的 ICC 网络结构特性：密度、厚度、孔大小、接触比、连通性和各向异性。这些指标经过验证，并在概念验证研究中应用，以定量确定减少（5-HT2B 受体敲除（KO））和正常（Ano1 KO）ICC 数量的小鼠模型以及在出生后网络成熟期间的空肠 ICC 网络变化。结果揭示了在 ICC 耗竭过程中发生的一种新的重塑现象，即 ICC 的空间重排和优先的纵向排列。在出生后的网络中，明显显示出 ICC 网络的修剪。这里开发的指标实现了对 ICC 网络在耗竭和发育过程中可能发生的结构变化进行首次详细的定量分析。
