Deficiency of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α-positive cells in Hirschsprung's disease colon

Figure 1 Immunofluorescent staining of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α-positive-cells. Immunofluorescent staining of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α-positive (PDGFRα+)-cells (green) in the myenteric plexus of normal control (A), aganglionic (B) and ganglionic (C) colon, arrow shows cell body. Nuclei were stained with DAPI (blue). Mucosal PDGFRα+-cells (green) were seen to co-express TLR4 (red) (D) (arrow), TLR5 (red) (E) (arrow) and P2RY1 (red) (F) (arrow). A-F: Magnification × 40.

Figure 2 Western blot of platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α protein expression. A: Platelet-derived growth factor receptor-α (PDGFRα) protein expression was high in normal controls and markedly decreased in both ganglionic and aganglionic specimens. The loading control GAPDH was similarly expressed in normal controls, ganglionic and aganglionic specimens; B: Densitometry analysis showed the range of PDGFRα protein expression among the samples studied. ^aP values are significant vs normal control.