Enteric neuronal density contributes to the severity of intestinal inflammation.

ABSTRACT:

Background & aims

Enteric neurons have been reported to be increased in inflamed regions of the bowel in patients with inflammatory bowel disease or intestinal neurogangliomatosis. It is impossible to determine whether this hyperinnervation predates intestinal inflammation, results from it, or contributes to its severity in humans, so we studied this process in mice.

Methods

To determine whether the density of enteric neurons determines the severity of inflammation, we studied transgenic mice that have greater than normal (NSE-noggin mice, which overexpress noggin under the control of the neuron-specific enolase promoter) or fewer than normal (Hand2(+/-) mice) numbers of neurons in the enteric nervous system. Colitis was induced with trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid or dextran

SUBMITTER: Margolis KG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4459707 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature