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A Mouse Model of Intestinal Partial Obstruction
Published on: March 5, 2018
Myenteric plexus alterations downstream from a prenatal intestinal obstruction in a rat model
Laurent Fourcade1, Yoanne Mousseau, Francis Jaubert
1Pediatric Surgery Department, CHU Limoges, France. laurent.fourcade@chu-limoges.fr
Neuroscience Letters
|June 23, 2009
Summary
Prenatal intestinal obstruction delays enteric nervous system maturation. This study in fetal rats shows a prenatal blockage causes an immature myenteric plexus in the digestive tract, impacting development.
Area of Science:
- Developmental biology
- Neuroscience
- Gastroenterology
Background:
- Enteric nervous system (ENS) maturation is crucial for digestive function.
- Prenatal events like intestinal atresia can disrupt ENS development.
- Understanding these disruptions is vital for pediatric gastrointestinal health.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the impact of prenatal intestinal obstruction on ENS maturation in a fetal rat model.
- To analyze the cellular and structural changes in the myenteric plexus following surgical small bowel obstruction.
Main Methods:
- Development of a fetal rat model with surgical small bowel obstruction at embryonic day 18.
- Examination of small bowel sections at embryonic day 21 using immunohistochemistry.
- Assessment of synaptophysin and smooth muscle actin staining to evaluate myenteric plexus maturation.
Main Results:
- Surgical obstruction led to significant alterations in the myenteric plexus of the occluded small bowel.
- The myenteric plexus in the lower, obstructed segment retained an immature cellular pattern (E17-like).
- A statistically significant difference in immature patterns was observed between the lower and upper ends of the obstructed bowel (p<0.008).
Conclusions:
- Prenatal intestinal obstruction induces a delay in the maturation of the enteric nervous system downstream of the blockage.
- This finding has potential implications for understanding and managing pediatric gastrointestinal disorders resulting from congenital obstructions.
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