Abstract:

Objective　To investigate the function of nestin during digestive tract development by analyzing expression of nestin in human fetal digestive tract.　Methods　Human fetal esophagus, stomach, and small intestine of 3-8 months old were obtained and fixed for paraffin sections. Immunohistochemical staining was used to determine the expression and distribution of nestin in fetal esophagus, stomach and small intestine.　Results　Nestin was expressed in the blood capillaries of lamina propria, submucosa and muscularis layers in digestive tract. The expression of nestin in these tissues was decreased with the development of fetus. There was statistical difference between nestin expression in early development stage and medium or late stage (P<0.05), but no statistical difference between medium and late development stages (P?0.05). 　Conclusion　Nestin is expressed in capillary of different tissues; however, the expression levels are decreased with the fetal development which indicates that nestin might play a role in angiogenesis.

Key words: Embryo, Digestive tract, Nestin, Immunohistochemical