Distribution of gut hormones (vasoactive intesinal polypeptide, substance P, motilin and somatostatin) in the bowels was immunohistochemically studied in patients of Hirschsprung's disease, normal human control and Congenital Aganglionosis Rats. In the colon of normal subject and the ganglionic bowel segment of Hirschsprung's disease patients, VIP and substance P were detected in the cytoplasma of the ganglion cells and their sur-roundings. The nerve fibers in the muscle layer and submucosa of the bowel were immunohistochemically stained. The endocrine cells in the mucosal epithelium were also strongly stained. Motilin and somatostatin were detected in the cytoplasma of ganglion cells and endocrine cells. In the aganglionic segment of Hirschsprung's disease patients', these gut hormones have been diminished or decreased. Distribution of VIP was greater at the transitional segment that at the normoganglionic segment. The endocrine cells in the aganglionic segment were same in number as in the normoganglionic segment. These cells were immunohistochemically stained equally. Electron microscopically, synaptic large cored vesicles (200-300nm) was decreased on the aganglionic segment. This findings suggest reduction of peptidergic nerve ending. The results lead a conclusion that the aganglionic segment in Hirschsprung's disease does not have peptidergic innervation (nonadrenergic inhibitory neuron) in the bowel. Genesis of the gut endocrine cell is different from that of the enteric nervous system.
