Abstract
Purpose The aim of the study was to investigate the regeneration and migration of neuronal
progenitor cells of the enteric nervous system during wound healing after intestinal
anastomosis in the rat ileum.
Methods Experiments were performed in a rat model of ileoileal anastomosis. Rats were humanely
killed on day 2 or day 10 after anastomosis, and the anastomotic region was compared
with ileum of healthy rats. Immunofluorescent staining was performed with protein
gene product 9.5, nestin, and S100 antibodies. Ganglia of the anastomotic region in
both the myenteric and submucosal plexus were counted, and their diameters were measured
and compared between groups.
Results Analysis of number and diameter of ganglia in both myenteric and submucosal plexus
showed individual alterations as a reaction to the surgical manipulation. Significantly
less ganglia were found in the submucosal plexus in the operated groups at both day
2 (p < 0.01) and day 10 (p < 0.01) than in the control group. In the myenteric plexus in the operated group,
there was a difference in the number of ganglia at day 2, but ganglia count had recovered
at day 10 and was not significantly different from the control group. However, the
diameter of ganglia in the myenteric plexus still significantly decreasing on day
10 after surgery than in the control group (p = 0.046). Nestin and S100 double-staining showed an increased expression of nestin
around the anastomotic wound.
Conclusion Our findings suggest a regenerative potential of the enteric nervous system after
the surgical ileoileal anastomosis. The myenteric plexus appears to recover faster
than the submucosal plexus. This recovery might be driven by nestin-positive neuronal
progenitor cells.
Keywords
enteric nervous system - nestin - neuronal regeneration - intestinal anastomosis
