Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 3, 2026
07:33
A Mouse Model of Intestinal Partial Obstruction
Published on: March 5, 2018
Small-bowel obstruction impairs epithelial barrier function and is associated with persistent NOS2 suppression and
Katarzyna K Wrobel1, Jörn K Teichmann2, Sonja Sitali2
1Department of Surgery, Vivantes Hospital Neukoelln, Berlin, Germany; Department of General and Visceral Surgery, Campus Benjamin Franklin, Charité-Universitätsmedizin, Berlin, Germany.
Surgery
|June 1, 2026
Summary
Small-bowel obstruction damages the gut barrier and brain signaling. While barrier function recovers after obstruction release, gut-brain axis activation and reduced nitric oxide synthase persist, indicating distinct recovery paths.
Area of Science:
- Gastroenterology
- Neuroscience
- Immunology
Background:
- Mechanical small-bowel obstruction disrupts the intestinal epithelial barrier.
- Neuroimmune signaling along the gut-brain axis is activated during obstruction.
- The study investigates the impact of obstruction release on barrier function and neuroimmune signaling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if releasing small-bowel obstruction restores intestinal barrier function.
- To assess changes in ileal inflammatory gene expression post-obstruction release.
- To evaluate the persistence of neuroimmune signaling in the nucleus tractus solitarius after obstruction release.
Main Methods:
- Small-bowel obstruction induced in mice via ileal ligation for 3 or 9 hours, with a release subgroup.
- Intestinal permeability measured using ex vivo fluorescein in Ussing chambers.
- Ileal mRNA expression (iNOS, TNF-α, COX-2) and nucleus tractus solitarius c-Fos activation assessed.
Main Results:
- Intestinal permeability significantly increased during obstruction and largely normalized after release.
- Nucleus tractus solitarius neuronal activation (c-Fos) persisted after obstruction release.
- Ileal inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA was suppressed during obstruction and remained low post-release, while TNF-α and COX-2 showed no significant changes.
Conclusions:
- Small-bowel obstruction causes rapid epithelial barrier dysfunction and sustained nucleus tractus solitarius activation.
- Reduced iNOS mRNA expression persists post-release despite early barrier function recovery.
- Epithelial, neuronal, and immune responses follow distinct trajectories during obstruction and early recovery.
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