Background: The pathophysiological basis of slow transit constipation are scarcely understood. Some recent evidence suggests that increased apoptotic phenomena in the colonic enteric neurons may play a role. However, the best method to assess these phenomena has not been evaluated.
Aims: To compare three different methods to detect enteric neuronal apoptosis in these patients.
Methods: Serial colonic tissue sections obtained in 10 patients with intractable slow transit constipation were evaluated with immunohistochemical methods aimed at evaluating apoptotic phenomena: the formamide-MAb method, the TUNEL, and the caspase-3.
Results: The highest yield of apoptotic neurons was obtained by means of the formamide-MAb method, compared to the other two, whereas the lowest yield was observed with the caspase-3.
Conclusions: The formamide-MAb method, which is able to distinguish apoptosis from necrosis and is not influenced by DNA breaks, may prove useful to assess neuronal apoptotic phenomena in the human enteric nervous system. This represents a relevant method to detect enteric neuronal apoptosis.