Reviewer's report
 Evidence For Modulation Of Pericryptal Sheath Myofibroblasts In Rat Descending Colon By Title:
Transforming Growth Factor b And Angiotensin II.
Authors:
Jay R Thiagarajah (jaythiagarajah@hotmail.com )
Nina M Griffiths (nina.griffiths@ipsn.fr )
kevin C pedley (K.C.Pedley@massey.ac.nz )
Richard J Naftalin (richard.naftalin@kcl.ac.uk@kcl.ac.uk )
 2  11 Dec 2001 Version: Date:
 Jehan-Francois Desjeux Reviewer:
 not specified Level of interest:
 Other (see below) Advice on publication:
This is a well-presented and well-documented article dealing with the important general issue of water 
and electrolyte handling by the colon. It is an extension of previous work suggesting that the regulation of sodium absorption is not only at the amiloride-sensitive electrogenic sodium epithelial channel. The 
authors extend the previous exploration of the role of the myofibroblast network present in the 
descending colon of the rat. They use sodium deprivation (leading to measured hyperaldosteronism) , irradiation and appropriate pharmacological tools to modulate sodium absorption in the descending colon. 
They very convincingly (and nicely) show that proteins whose expression is directly or indirectly 
modulated by aldosterone levels in different tissues is also modulated at the myofibroblast level. The data obtained by immunocytochemistry coupled to confocal microscopy are convincing when examining the nice micrographs and generated quantitative data obtained in different groups of 
animals. 
One may be disappointed by the absence of functional counterpart to immunocytochemistry. But the present group of experiments should be placed in the general context, which is well-presented in the introduction and well-documented in the reference list. 
Competing interests:
None declared.
Reviewer's report
 Evidence For Modulation Of Pericryptal Sheath Myofibroblasts In Rat Descending Colon By Title:
Transforming Growth Factor b And Angiotensin II.
Authors:
Jay R Thiagarajah (jaythiagarajah@hotmail.com )
Nina M Griffiths (nina.griffiths@ipsn.fr )
kevin C pedley (K.C.Pedley@massey.ac.nz )
Richard J Naftalin (richard.naftalin@kcl.ac.uk@kcl.ac.uk )
 2  11 Dec 2001 Version: Date:
 Jehan-Francois Desjeux Reviewer:
 not specified Level of interest:
 Other (see below) Advice on publication:
This is a well-presented and well-documented article dealing with the important general issue of water 
and electrolyte handling by the colon. It is an extension of previous work suggesting that the regulation of sodium absorption is not only at the amiloride-sensitive electrogenic sodium epithelial channel. The 
authors extend the previous exploration of the role of the myofibroblast network present in the 
descending colon of the rat. They use sodium deprivation (leading to measured hyperaldosteronism) , irradiation and appropriate pharmacological tools to modulate sodium absorption in the descending colon. 
They very convincingly (and nicely) show that proteins whose expression is directly or indirectly 
modulated by aldosterone levels in different tissues is also modulated at the myofibroblast level. The data obtained by immunocytochemistry coupled to confocal microscopy are convincing when examining the nice micrographs and generated quantitative data obtained in different groups of 
animals. 
One may be disappointed by the absence of functional counterpart to immunocytochemistry. But the present group of experiments should be placed in the general context, which is well-presented in the introduction and well-documented in the reference list. 
Competing interests:
None declared.
Please review this paper.
user
Reviewer's report
 Evidence For Modulation Of Pericryptal Sheath Myofibroblasts In Rat Descending Colon By Title:
Transforming Growth Factor b And Angiotensin II.
Authors:
Jay R Thiagarajah (jaythiagarajah@hotmail.com )
Nina M Griffiths (nina.griffiths@ipsn.fr )
kevin C pedley (K.C.Pedley@massey.ac.nz )
Richard J Naftalin (richard.naftalin@kcl.ac.uk@kcl.ac.uk )
 2  11 Dec 2001 Version: Date:
 Jehan-Francois Desjeux Reviewer:
 not specified Level of interest:
 Other (see below) Advice on publication:
This is a well-presented and well-documented article dealing with the important general issue of water 
and electrolyte handling by the colon. It is an extension of previous work suggesting that the regulation of sodium absorption is not only at the amiloride-sensitive electrogenic sodium epithelial channel. The 
authors extend the previous exploration of the role of the myofibroblast network present in the 
descending colon of the rat. They use sodium deprivation (leading to measured hyperaldosteronism) , irradiation and appropriate pharmacological tools to modulate sodium absorption in the descending colon. 
They very convincingly (and nicely) show that proteins whose expression is directly or indirectly 
modulated by aldosterone levels in different tissues is also modulated at the myofibroblast level. The data obtained by immunocytochemistry coupled to confocal microscopy are convincing when examining the nice micrographs and generated quantitative data obtained in different groups of 
animals. 
One may be disappointed by the absence of functional counterpart to immunocytochemistry. But the present group of experiments should be placed in the general context, which is well-presented in the introduction and well-documented in the reference list. 
Competing interests:
None declared.
assistant