Morphological Alterations in Small Intestine of Rats with Myenteric Plexus Denervation

Abstract

We aimed to investigate the effect of myenteric denervation by benzalkonium chloride (BAC) on small intestine morphology in the rat, and whether segmental myenteric denervation alters morphology elsewhere in the small intestine. Forty male Sprague-Dawley rats were equally divided into 4 groups: control (0.9% NaCl); denervation (0.062% BAC); chemical inflammation (5% acetic acid), and intraluminal stasis produced by partial obstruction. 28 days after operation tissue samples were taken from the treated segment, 10 cm distal to the treated segment, and 20 cm proximal to the treated segment. Morphological changes and the number of ganglion cells were examined under the light microscope. BAC application reduced the number of myenteric neurons by 85% in the treated segment. Denervation increased villus height and crypt depth in the treated and proximal segments. But changes in muscle thickness were seen throughout the intestine. As a result, although myenteric plexus denervation caused mucosa morphology in the treated and proximal segments, it caused smooth muscle changes throughout the small intestine.

Ret heterozygous mice have enhanced intestinal adaptation after massive small bowel resection

“…In this context, several prior observations suggest that components of the ENS may have an inhibitory effect on intestinal adaptation. For example, destruction of the ENS with benzalkonium chloride causes enhanced adaptation after SBR that closely mimics our results (8,14). Benzalkonium chloride-induced bowel denervation, however, increases crypt depth and villus height in rats, even without SBR (8), whereas Retϩ/Ϫ have similar morphology to WT animals in the absence of SBR.…”

Transplantation of Enteric Cells into the Aganglionic Rodent Small Intestines

“…Benzlyalkonium chloride (BAC), a commercially available cationic surfactant, has been used to create an aganglionic region of the small intestines in normal rodents. BAC can ablate myenteric neurons within 48 h of serosal application to the jejunum and to cause thickening of the smooth muscle layers of the jejunum [31][32][33][34][35][36]. This cationic surfactant causes relatively little disruption to the other layers of the small intestine and selectively ablates the myenteric plexus.…”

“…This cationic surfactant causes relatively little disruption to the other layers of the small intestine and selectively ablates the myenteric plexus. While some regeneration of the extrinsic and potentially intrinsic neurons does occur, this process requires approximately 30 d, depending on the animal model and concentration of BAC [31][32][33][34][35][36].…”

Intestinal lymphocytic epithelioganglionitis: a unique combination of inflammation in bowel dysmotility: a histopathological and immunohistochemical analysis of 28 cases

“…There is one further noteworthy point: the hypertrophy of the longitudinal muscle layer. This could be secondary to both inflammation 29 and neuron destruction, 30,31 as experimental data in rats have shown. Our observation also suggests that the two muscle layers are separate entities and can react differently in various pathological conditions.…”