Capsaicin receptor (CR), substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-releated peptide (CGRP) in patients with large bowel diseases

Aims: The capsaicin stimulates the capsaicin-sensitive nerves. I was proved that these fibers take place in the development of gastrointestinal mucosal damage/prevention (Mózsik, Abdel-Salam, Szolcsányi: Capsaicin-Sensitive Afferent Nerves in Gastric Mucosal Damage and Protection. Akadémia Kiadó, Bp. 1997). The development mechanisms of the human large bowel diseases widely studied, however their remained to be unknown. The aim of our study was to analyze the immundistribution of CR, CGRP and SP in different disorders of the human large bowel (inflammation, dysplasia only or together).

Materials and methods: 55 samples were taken from 25 subjects (age 21–84 years, 13 males, 12 females) suffered from polypous and inflammatory lesions both with and without dysplasia. We evaluated the immunostaining of CR, CGRP and SP antigenes in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections of intestinal biopsies using mono- and polyclonal antibodies (Abcam, Cambridge, UK).

Results: 1.) CR was located in the cytoplasm of grandular epithelial cells with diffuse fine-granular pattern in normal cells, however paranuclear “spot”-like staining was observed in cells with dysplasia (13/18). 2.) CGRP immunostaining was characteristically cytoplasmatic with strong intensity. 3.) Increased SP expression was seen in the mucosa of inflammatory lesions (16/16).

Conclusion: The capsaicin-sensitive afferent nerves can take part in the development of inflammatory and dysplastic intestinal disorders/prevention and typical immundistribution may be observed. The study was supported by the grant of Hungarian Research Fund (OKTA-T 047126).