Neurogastroenterology and motility : the official journal of the European Gastrointestinal Motility Society
-
Neurogastroenterol. Motil. · Jul 2013
Effects of traumatic brain injury on intestinal contractility.
Patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI) often suffer from gastrointestinal dysfunction including intolerance to enteral feedings. However, it is unclear how TBI affects small intestinal contractile activity. The purpose of this study was to determine if TBI affects intestinal smooth muscle function. ⋯ Traumatic brain injury causes a delayed but significant decrease in intestinal contractile activity in the ileum leading to delayed transit. The decreased intestinal contractile activity is attributed to secondary inflammatory injury as evidenced by increased NF-kB activity, increased edema, and increased inflammatory cytokines in the intestinal smooth muscle.
-
Neurogastroenterol. Motil. · Jul 2013
Changes in the modulation of spinal pain processing are related to severity in irritable bowel syndrome.
In irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) patients can be divided in two groups according to inhibition or facilitation of the RIII nociceptive spinal reflex induced by rectal distension. We further investigated the differences in pain processes in these two groups and their relationship to clinical symptoms. ⋯ Alterations of the modulation of spinal pain processing in IBS correlates with symptom severity but not with psychological factors or brain activity.
-
Neurogastroenterol. Motil. · Jul 2013
Myenteric neuron numbers are maintained in aging mouse distal colon.
BACKGROUND Age-associated myenteric neuronal loss has been described in several species. In some studies,cholinergic neurons have been reported to be selectively vulnerable, whereas nitrergic neurons are spared. Aging of the mouse enteric nervous system(ENS) and the subtypes of mouse myenteric neurons that may be lost have been little studied. ⋯ The density of nNOS-immunoreactive nerve fibers in the tertiary plexus increased significantly with age, up to 18–19 months. Numerous swollen processes of CB and nNOS-immunoreactive neurons were observed in 18–19- and 24–25-month-old animals. Conclusions &Inferences These results indicate that aging does not result in a loss of myenteric neurons in mouse distal colon at the ages studied, although neurodegenerative changes, which may impact on neuronal function, do occur.