Loss of glia and neurons in the myenteric plexus of the aged Fischer 344 rat

Over the normal lifespan, a subpopulation of myenteric neurons in the small and large intestines dies. This loss is one possible mechanism for the disruptions of gastrointestinal function seen in the elderly. Little, however, is known about how the glia constituting the supportive cells of the myenteric plexus may change with aging and the losses of the enteric neurons. The goal of the present study, therefore, was to determine what, if any, changes occur in the glia associated with myenteric neurons in the aged gut. Two experimental groups, consisting of adult (5–6 months of age, n=8) or aged (26 months of age, n=8) virgin male Fischer 344 rats, fed ad libitum, were examined. The duodenum, jejunum, ileum, colon, and rectum from each rat were prepared as whole mounts, and indirect immunofluorescence was used to visualize the myenteric glia and neurons (antibodies to S-100 and the HuC/D protein, respectively). Separate counts of glia and neurons from the same specimens were determined, and these counts were expressed both as per ganglionic area and as per ganglion to correct for “dilution” effects resulting from age-associated changes in tissue area. Significant reductions in both the numbers of glia as well as neurons occurred in every region of the small and large intestine sampled from aged rats, except for the rectum, where a nonsignificant decrease was observed. Glial loss was proportional to neuronal death, suggesting an interdependency between the two cell types. Thus, an understanding of the nature of the neuron-glia interaction in the enteric nervous system may provide insight into the deterioration of function seen in the aged gut.