Experimental colitis in young Tg2576 mice accelerates the onset of an Alzheimer's-like clinical phenotype.

Systemic inflammation and neuroinflammation affect the natural course of the sporadic form of Alzheimer's disease (AD), as supported by epidemiological and preclinical data, and several epidemiological studies indicate a higher prevalence of AD in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. In this study, we explored whether colitis induced by dextran sulfate sodium (DSS) in young, presymptomatic/preplaque mice worsens and/or anticipates age-dependent cognitive impairment in Tg2576, a widely used mouse model of AD. We demonstrated that DSS colitis induced in young Tg2576 mice anticipates the onset age of learning and memory deficit in the Morris water maze test.

Distribution, quantification, and characterization of substance P enteric neurons in the submucosal and myenteric plexuses of the porcine colon.

The pig is an important translational model for studying intestinal physiology and disorders for its many homologies with humans, including the organization of the enteric nervous system (ENS), the major regulator of gastrointestinal functions. This study focused on the quantification and neurochemical characterization of substance P (SP) neurons in the pig ascending (AC) and descending colon (DC) in wholemount preparations of the inner submucosal plexus (ISP), outer submucosal plexus (OSP), and myenteric plexus (MP). We used antibodies for the pan-neuronal marker HuCD, and choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), markers for excitatory and inhibitory transmitters, for multiple labeling immunofluorescence and high-resolution confocal microscopy.

Effects of Bioactive Peptides from Atlantic Salmon Processing By-Products on Oxyntopeptic and Enteroendocrine Cells of the Gastric Mucosa of European Seabass and Gilthead Seabream.

The present study was designed to evaluate the effects of dietary levels of bioactive peptides (BPs) derived from salmon processing by-products on the presence and distribution of peptic cells (oxyntopeptic cells, OPs) and enteric endocrine cells (EECs) that contain GHR, NPY and SOM in the gastric mucosa of European seabass and gilthead seabream. In this study, 27 seabass and 27 seabreams were divided into three experimental groups: a control group (CTR) fed a control diet and two groups fed different levels of BP to replace fishmeal: 5% BP (BP5%) and 10% BP (BP10%). The stomach of each fish was sampled and processed for immunohistochemistry.

Clinical and Pathological Features of Severe Gut Dysmotility.

Severe gut motility disorders are characterized by ineffective propulsion of intestinal contents. As a result, patients often develop extremely uncomfortable symptoms, ranging from nausea and vomiting along with alterations of bowel habits, up to radiologically confirmed subobstructive episodes. Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) is a typical clinical phenotype of severe gut dysmotility due to morphological and functional alterations of the intrinsic (enteric) innervation and extrinsic nerve supply (hence neuropathy), interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs) (mesenchymopathy), and smooth muscle cells (myopathy).

Enteric Neuromyopathies: Highlights on Genetic Mechanisms Underlying Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction.

Severe gut motility disorders are characterized by the ineffective propulsion of intestinal contents. As a result, the patients develop disabling/distressful symptoms, such as nausea and vomiting along with altered bowel habits up to radiologically demonstrable intestinal sub-obstructive episodes. Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) is a typical clinical phenotype of severe gut dysmotility.

Poly(l-lactic acid) Scaffold Releasing an αβ Integrin Agonist Promotes Nonfibrotic Skin Wound Healing in Diabetic Mice.

Skin wound healing is a highly complex process that continues to represent a major medical problem, due to chronic nonhealing wounds in several classes of patients and to possible fibrotic complications, which compromise the function of the dermis. Integrins are transmembrane receptors that play key roles in this process and that offer a recognized druggable target. Our group recently synthesized GM18, a specific agonist for α4β1, an integrin that plays a role in skin immunity and in the migration of neutrophils, also regulating the differentiated state of fibroblasts.

The evolution of vimentin and desmin in muscles of broiler chickens supports their essential role in muscle regeneration.

Vimentin (VIM) and desmin (DES) are muscle-specific proteins having crucial roles in maintaining the lateral organization and alignment of the sarcomeric structure during myofibrils' regeneration. The present experiment was designed to ascertain the evolution of VIM and DES in muscles (PM) of fast-growing (FG) and medium-growing (MG) meat-type chickens both at the protein and gene levels. MG broilers were considered as a control group whereas the evolution of VIM and DES over the growth period was evaluated in FG by collecting samples at different developmental stages (7, 14, 21, 28, 35, and 42 days).

Effect of Essential Oils on the Oxyntopeptic Cells and Somatostatin and Ghrelin Immunoreactive Cells in the European Sea Bass () Gastric Mucosa.

The current work was designed to assess the effect of feed supplemented with essential oils (EOs) on the histological features in sea bass's gastric mucosa. Fish were fed three diets: control diet (CTR), HERBAL MIX made with natural EOs (N-EOs), or HERBAL MIX made with artificial EOs obtained by synthesis (S-EOs) during a 117-day feeding trial. Thereafter, the oxyntopeptic cells (OPs) and the ghrelin (GHR) and somatostatin (SOM) enteroendocrine cells (EECs) in the gastric mucosa were evaluated.

Novel understanding on genetic mechanisms of enteric neuropathies leading to severe gut dysmotility.

The enteric nervous system (ENS) is the third division of the autonomic autonomic nervous system and the largest collection of neurons outside the central nervous system (CNS). The ENS has been referred to as "the brain in the gut" or "the second brain of the human body" because of its highly integrated neural circuits controlling a vast repertoire of gut functions, including absorption/secretion, splanchnic blood vessels, some immunological aspects, intestinal epithelial barrier, and gastrointestinal (GI) motility. The latter function is the result of the ENS fine-tuning over smooth musculature, along with the contribution of other key cells, such as enteric glia (astrocyte like cells supporting and contributing to neuronal activity), interstitial cells of Cajal (the pacemaker cells of the GI tract involved in neuromuscular transmission), and enteroendocrine cells (releasing bioactive substances, which affect gut physiology).

Evidence of enteric angiopathy and neuromuscular hypoxia in patients with mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy.

Mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE) is a rare autosomal recessive disease caused by thymidine phosphorylase (TP) enzyme defect. As gastrointestinal changes do not revert in patients undergone TP replacement therapy, one can postulate that other unexplored mechanisms contribute to MNGIE pathophysiology. Hence, we focused on the local TP angiogenic potential that has never been considered in MNGIE.

Quantitative analysis of enteric neurons containing choline acetyltransferase and nitric oxide synthase immunoreactivities in the submucosal and myenteric plexuses of the porcine colon.

The enteric nervous system (ENS) controls gastrointestinal functions. In large mammals' intestine, it comprises an inner (ISP) and outer (OSP) submucous plexus and a myenteric plexus (MP). This study quantifies enteric neurons in the ISP, OSP, and MP of the pig ascending (AC) and descending colon (DC) using the HuC/D, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT), and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) neuronal markers in whole mount preparations with multiple labeling immunofluorescence.

Fiber Metabolism, Procollagen and Collagen Type III Immunoreactivity in Broiler Pectoralis Major Affected by Muscle Abnormalities.

The present study aimed to evaluate the muscle fiber metabolism and assess the presence and distribution of both procollagen and collagen type III in pectoralis major muscles affected by white striping (WS), wooden breast (WB), and spaghetti meat (SM), as well as in those with macroscopically normal appearance (NORM). For this purpose, 20 pectoralis major muscles (five per group) were selected from the same flock of fast-growing broilers (Ross 308, males, 45-days-old, 3.0 kg live weight) and were used for histochemical (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide tetrazolium reductase (NADH-TR) and alpha-glycerophosphate dehydrogenase (α-GPD)) and immunohistochemical (procollagen and collagen type III) analyses.

Distribution and Expression of Vimentin and Desmin in Broiler Affected by the Growth-Related Muscular Abnormalities.

Desmin (DES) and Vimentin (VIM) exert an essential role in maintaining muscle cytoarchitecture and since are considered reliable markers for muscle regeneration, their expression has been extensively investigated in dystrophic muscles. Thus, exhibiting features similar to those of human dystrophic muscles, the present study aimed at assessing the distribution of VIM and DES proteins and the expression of the corresponding genes in muscles affected by white striping (WS), wooden breast (WB), and spaghetti meat (SM) abnormalities as well as in those having macroscopically normal appearance (NORM). For this purpose, 20 muscles (5/group) were collected from the same flock of fast-growing broilers to perform immunohistochemistry, immunoblotting and gene expression.

Enteric neuron density correlates with clinical features of severe gut dysmotility.

Gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms can originate from severe dysmotility due to enteric neuropathies. Current methods used to demonstrate enteric neuropathies are based mainly on classic qualitative histopathological/immunohistochemical evaluation. This study was designed to identify an objective morphometric method for paraffin-embedded tissue samples to quantify the interganglionic distance between neighboring myenteric ganglia immunoreactive for neuron-specific enolase, as well as the number of myenteric and submucosal neuronal cell bodies/ganglion in jejunal specimens of patients with severe GI dysmotility.

Gut epithelial and vascular barrier abnormalities in patients with chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction.

Background: Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) is a rare condition due to severe impairment of gut motility responsible for recurrent subocclusive episodes. Although neuromuscular-glial-ICC abnormalities represent the main pathogenetic mechanism, the pathophysiology of CIPO remains poorly understood. Intestinal epithelial and vascular endothelial barrier (IEVB) abnormalities can contribute to neuroepithelial changes by allowing passage of harmful substances.

Effect of Mucine 4 and Fucosyltransferase 1 genetic variants on gut homoeostasis of growing healthy pigs.

Putative genetic markers have been associated with ETEC F4 (Mucine 4 [MUC4]; MUC4 as susceptible; MUC4 as resistant) and F18 (Fucosyltransferase 1 [FUT1]; FUT1 as susceptible; FUT1 as resistant) resistances respectively. In this study, 71 post-weaning pigs were followed from d0 (35 days old) to d42 (77 days of age) to investigate the effect of MUC4 or FUT1 genotypes on the mid-jejunal microbiota composition, pigs expression of genes related to inflammation (IL8, GPX2, REG3G, TFF3, CCL20 and LBPI) and glycomic binding pattern profile (Ulex europaeus agglutinin I [UEA] fucose-binding lectin and peanut agglutinin [PNA] galactose-specific), and on blood plasma targeted metabolomics profile, faecal score and performance parameters of growing healthy pigs. The MUC4 and FUT1 resistant genotypes improved the pigs' growth performance and had firmed faecal score susceptible genotypes in d0-d21 period.

Enteric neuropathies: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow.

Enteric neuropathy is a term indicating an impairment of the innervation supplying the gastrointestinal tract. The clinical phenotypes of the enteric neuropathies are the 'tip of the iceberg' of severe functional digestive diseases, such as intestinal pseudo-obstruction syndromes (e.g.

Prucalopride exerts neuroprotection in human enteric neurons.

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) and its transporters and receptors are involved in a wide array of digestive functions. In particular, 5-HT4 receptors are known to mediate intestinal peristalsis and recent data in experimental animals have shown their role in neuronal maintenance and neurogenesis. This study has been designed to test whether prucalopride, a well-known full 5-HT4 agonist, exerts protective effects on neurons, including enteric neurons, exposed to oxidative stress challenge.

Regulation of α-Transducin and α-Gustducin Expression by a High Protein Diet in the Pig Gastrointestinal Tract.

Background: The expression of taste receptors (TASRs) and their signalling molecules in the gastrointestinal (GI) epithelial cells, including enteroendocrine cells (EECs), suggests they participate in chemosensing mechanisms influencing GI physiology via the release of endocrine messengers. TASRs mediate gustatory signalling by interacting with different transducers, including α-gustducin (Gαgust) and α-transducin (Gαtran) G protein subunits. This study tested whether Gαtran and Gαgust immunoreactive (-IR) cells are affected by a short-term (3 days) and long-term (30 days) high protein (Hp) diet in the pig GI tract.

The Olfactory Receptor OR51E1 Is Present along the Gastrointestinal Tract of Pigs, Co-Localizes with Enteroendocrine Cells and Is Modulated by Intestinal Microbiota.

Unlabelled: The relevance of the butyrate-sensing olfactory receptor OR51E1 for gastrointestinal (GIT) functioning has not been considered so far. We investigated in young pigs the distribution of OR51E1 along the GIT, its relation with some endocrine markers, its variation with age and after interventions affecting the gut environment and intestinal microbiota. Immuno-reactive cells for OR51E1 and chromogranin A (CgA) were counted in cardial (CA), fundic (FU), pyloric (PL) duodenal (DU), jejunal (JE), ileal (IL), cecal (CE), colonic (CO) and rectal (RE) mucosae.

α-Transducin and α-gustducin immunoreactive cells in the stomach of common sole (Solea solea) fed with mussel meal.

Vertebrates perceive a variety of exogenous substances using two main chemosensory systems, taste and olfaction. The taste perception occurs through the interaction of taste receptors associated with specific G protein subunits such as α-transducin (Gαtran) and α-gustducin (Gαgust). Aquatic vertebrates are also provided with a chemosensory system consisting of solitary chemosensory cells distributed to the oropharynx and skin.

A new method of producing casts for anatomical studies.

The objective of the present study was to verify if polyurethane foam is a suitable material to make accurate casts of vessels and viscera, and to develop a method based on its use for anatomical studies. This new technique has been tested primarily on the lungs of different animals, but also on the renal, intestinal and equine digital vessels. It consisted of three steps: specimen preparation, injection of the foam and corrosion of the cast.

The KIT gene is associated with the english spotting coat color locus and congenital megacolon in Checkered Giant rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

The English spotting coat color locus in rabbits, also known as Dominant white spotting locus, is determined by an incompletely dominant allele (En). Rabbits homozygous for the recessive wild-type allele (en/en) are self-colored, heterozygous En/en rabbits are normally spotted, and homozygous En/En animals are almost completely white. Compared to vital en/en and En/en rabbits, En/En animals are subvital because of a dilated ("mega") cecum and ascending colon.