Age-related gene expression analysis in enteric ganglia of human colon after laser microdissection.

The enteric nervous system (ENS) poses the intrinsic innervation of the gastrointestinal tract and plays a critical role for all stages of postnatal life. There is increasing scientific and clinical interest in acquired or age-related gastrointestinal dysfunctions that can be manifested in diseases such as gut constipation or fecal incontinence. In this study, we sought to analyze age-dependent changes in the gene expression profile of the human ENS, particularly in the myenteric plexus.

In vivo transplantation of neurosphere-like bodies derived from the human postnatal and adult enteric nervous system: a pilot study.

Recent advances in the in vitro characterization of human adult enteric neural progenitor cells have opened new possibilities for cell-based therapies in gastrointestinal motility disorders. However, whether these cells are able to integrate within an in vivo gut environment is still unclear. In this study, we transplanted neural progenitor-containing neurosphere-like bodies (NLBs) in a mouse model of hypoganglionosis and analyzed cellular integration of NLB-derived cell types and functional improvement.

Reduced oxygen stress promotes propagation of murine postnatal enteric neural progenitors in vitro.

Background: Neural stem and progenitor cells of the Enteric Nervous System (ENS) are regarded as a novel cell source for applications in regenerative medicine. However, improvements to the current ENS cell culture protocols will be necessary to generate clinically useful cell numbers under defined culture conditions. Beneficial effects of physiologically low oxygen concentrations and/or the addition of anti-oxidants on propagation of various types of stem cells have previously been demonstrated.

Biotransformation of cyclosporin in primary rat, porcine and human liver cell co-cultures.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the species-specific cyclosporin biotransformation in primary rat, human, and porcine liver cell cultures, and to investigate the suitability of a modified sandwich culture technique with non-purified liver cell co-cultures for drug metabolism studies. A sandwich culture was found to enhance hepatocellular metabolic activity and improve cellular morphology and ultrastructure. The cyclosporin metabolites AM9 and AM1 were formed in porcine and human liver cell sandwich co-cultures at levels corresponding to the respective in vivo situations.