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An In-vitro Preparation of Isolated Enteric Neurons and Glia from the Myenteric Plexus of the Adult Mouse
Published on: August 7, 2013
Lessons from the porcine enteric nervous system
1Department of Veterinary PathoBiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota, USA. brown013@umn.edu
Neurogastroenterology and Motility
|April 7, 2004
Summary
Pigs have a complex enteric nervous system similar to humans, differing significantly from guinea pigs. This highlights the pig as a valuable model for developing treatments for human neurogastrointestinal disorders.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Neuroscience
- Pharmacology
Background:
- The porcine intestinal tract shares functional and pathological similarities with the human digestive tract.
- The enteric nervous system (ENS) organization in pigs is more complex than in commonly studied animals like guinea pigs.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the differences in intrinsic primary afferent neurons between large and small animals.
- To characterize opioid receptor subtypes and their distribution in the porcine enteric nervous system.
- To evaluate the suitability of the pig as an animal model for human neurogastrointestinal disorders.
Main Methods:
- Comparative analysis of enteric nervous system organization.
- Electrophysiological studies of neurons.
- Pharmacological characterization of opioid receptors in different intestinal regions.
Main Results:
- Intrinsic primary afferent neurons exhibit variations in chemical coding, distribution, electrophysiology, and synaptic properties between species.
- Opioid receptors in the porcine small intestine are predominantly delta-type, unlike the mu-type found in guinea-pig ileum.
- Delta-opioid receptors in porcine ileum modulate smooth muscle contraction and mucosal ion transport with distinct pharmacological profiles.
Conclusions:
- Significant interspecies and interregional differences exist in the enteric nervous system.
- The pig represents a homologous animal model for studying human neurogastrointestinal disorders.
- Drug development for human neurogastrointestinal conditions should leverage findings from porcine models.
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