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Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Equine Enteric Glial Culture and Application to the Study of a Neural Inflammatory Mechanism in Equine Colic
Published on: October 4, 2024
Intrinsic innervation of the horse ileum
Roberto Chiocchetti1, Cristiano Bombardi, Caterina Mongardi-Fantaguzzi
1Department of Veterinary Morphophysiology and Animal Productions, University of Bologna, 40064 Ozzano Emilia, Bologna, Italy. roberto.chiocchetti@unibo.it
Abstract:
This paper describes the morphology and distribution of the enteric nervous system (ENS) cells and fibres immunoreactive for choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), substance P (SP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), NF200kDa (NF200), and S100 protein. The percentages of subclasses of enteric neurons in the total neuronal population were investigated by the use of anti-PGP 9.5 or anti-NSE antibodies. ChAT-IR myenteric plexus (MP) and submucosal plexus (SMP) neurons were 66+/-7% and 74+/-15%, respectively, whereas those cells expressing nNOS-IR were 38+/-7% and 5+/-1%, respectively. MP and SMP neurons expressing both phenotypes were also present. SP-IR was expressed by 14+/-13% of MP and 66+/-8% of SMP neurons whereas CGRP-IR was observed only in the SMP (43+/-6%). NF200-IR was expressed by 61+/-15% and 91+/-10% of the MP and SMP neurons, respectively. The majority of the CGRP-IR SMP neurons expressed also SP-IR. Almost all SP-IR neurons in both the plexuses were cholinergic. The present study quantifies the main neuronal subpopulations of the ENS of the horse ileum; these data might be utilized to understand the neuronal modifications which occur in several gastrointestinal tract disorders.
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