Plasticity of colonic enteric nervous system following spinal cord injury in male and female rats

Neurogastroenterol Motil, 2023 · DOI: 10.1111/nmo.14646 · Published: November 1, 2023

Simple Explanation

This study investigates how the enteric nervous system (ENS), which controls the gut, changes after a spinal cord injury (SCI) in rats. Specifically, it looks at Interstitial Cells of Cajal (ICC), specialized cells that help regulate gut muscle contractions. The researchers examined two types of ICC in the colon: ICC-MP, located in the myenteric plexus (a network of nerves between muscle layers), and ICC-CM, located within the circular muscle layer. The study found that after SCI, the number and size of ICC-MP increased, suggesting they were adapting to the injury. However, ICC-CM did not show these changes. These findings help us understand how SCI affects the gut and could lead to better treatments for bowel problems after SCI.

Study Duration

6 Weeks

Participants

32 male and 34 female Wistar rats

Evidence Level

Not specified

Key Findings

1
Myenteric plexus ICC (ICC-MP) exhibited increased cell counts 3 days following SCI in male rats, but did not significantly increase in females until 3 weeks after SCI.
2
On average, ICC-MP total primary arborization length increased significantly in male rats at 3-day, 3-week, and 6-week time points, whereas in females, this increase occurred most frequently at 6 weeks post-SCI.
3
Conversely, circular muscle ICC (ICC-CM) did not demonstrate post-SCI changes.

Research Summary

This study demonstrates resiliency of the ICC-MP in neurogenic bowel following SCI, unlike seen in other related disease states. Significant male and female distal colon ICC proliferation and increased primary arborization lengths are specific to the myenteric plexus, while the ICC-CM remain unaltered. Consideration of the implications of this remodeling is essential for future application or development of therapeutic interventions for NB following SCI.

Practical Implications

Therapeutic Targets

Further research into neuromuscular changes after SCI can help identify therapeutic targets for neurogenic bowel treatment.

Sex-Specific Treatments

The observed sex differences in ICC remodeling suggest that treatments may need to be tailored differently for males and females.

Resilience of ICC-MP

The resiliency of ICC-MP after SCI suggests that therapies aimed at supporting or modulating these cells could be beneficial.

Study Limitations

1
One of our study’s primary limitations was the absence of tracking estrous cycle.
2
We were also unable to analyze the ICC-LM, as this layer is difficult to visualize with c-Kit immunohistochemistry
3
The current understanding of ICC structure and function is derived heavily from studies of the gastric and small intestinal networks

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