Effects of jejunoileal autotransplantation on gastrointestinal regulatory peptides

Plasticity in the enteric nervous system

Enteric ganglia can maintain integrated functions, such as the peristaltic reflex, in the absence of input from the central nervous system, which has a modulatory role. Several clinical and experimental observations suggest that homeostatic control of gut function in a changing environment may be achieved through adaptive changes occurring in the enteric ganglia. A distinctive feature of enteric ganglia, which may be crucial during the development of adaptive responses, is the vicinity of the final effector cells, which are an important source of mediators regulating cell growth. The aim of this review is to focus on the possible mechanisms underlying neuronal plasticity in the enteric nervous system and to consider approaches to the study of plasticity in this model. These include investigations of neuronal connectivity during development, adaptive mechanisms that maintain function after suppression of a specific neural input, and the possible occurrence of activity-dependent modifications of synaptic efficacy, which are thought to be important in storage of information in the brain. One of the applied aspects of the study of plasticity in the enteric nervous system is that knowledge of the underlying mechanisms may eventually enable us to develop strategies to correct neuronal alterations described in several diseases.

The effects of surgery on gastrointestinal motor activity

Gastrointestinal surgical procedures have the potential to disrupt motor activity in various organs of the gastrointestinal tract or, indeed, throughout the entire alimentary canal. Several of these motor effects have important clinical consequences and have also served to advance our understanding of the regulation of gastrointestinal motor activity. This review will focus, in particular, on the effects of surgery on the small intestine, and will attempt to emphasize the implications of these studies for our understanding of small intestinal motility, in general.

Time course of adaptive regulatory peptide changes following massive small bowel resection in the dog

Basal and postprandial concentrations of gastrointestinal hormones were measured in 12 dogs before and at one and three months after a 75% small bowel resection. Five animals were studied again at six months. Concentrations of enteric hormones and neuropeptides, measured in the proximal jejunum and distal ileum adjacent to the anastomotic site at the time of euthanasia, were compared with concentrations in control tissues taken from each animal at the time of resection. Increased basal and postprandial levels of gastrin (P < 0.05), cholecystokinin (CCK, P < 0.05), glucose-dependent insulinotropic peptide (GIP, P < 0.01), peptide YY (PYY, P < 0.001), and enteroglucagon (P < 0.001), were seen at one month after small bowel resection. In contrast, no significant changes were seen in concentrations of secretin, motilin, neurotensin, somatostatin, PP, or glucagon. Concentrations of enteroglucagon, GIP, and PYY remained high throughout the six-month study period. In contrast, gastrin and CCK had normalized by three months. Thus, only enteroglucagon, PYY, and GIP showed sustained elevations following enterectomy; the gastrin and CCK changes were transient. Following enterectomy, concentrations of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) were reduced by about 50% in mucosal (P < 0.001) and muscle (P < 0.05) layers of proximal and distal gut. In contrast, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was increased by about twofold in jejunal and ileal mucosa (P < 0.05), and CGRP elevations were even more marked in the muscle layers (P < 0.001). Somatostatin and neuropeptide Y (NPY) concentrations were similar to controls in all areas except for a small decrease in NPY in ileal mucosa (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that the increased motilin and PP concentrations previously reported after bowel resection in man are more likely to reflect underlying inflammatory bowel disease rather than enterectomy. The normalization of hypergastrinemia explains why the increased acid secretion after small bowel resection is transient. These results provide evidence for independent secretory control of enteroglucagon and PYY, which are both products of intestinal L cells. In addition, these studies reveal marked changes in enteric neuropeptide concentrations following bowel resection. VIP, which is thought to be a major inhibitory transmitter in the gut, is markedly reduced, while CGRP, which is mainly localized in sensory afferent fibers, is increased. These major neuropeptide changes are likely to be of importance in the adaptive responses to massive small bowel resection.

Effect of intestinal tapering and lengthening on intestinal structure and function

BACKGROUND

Intestinal lengthening (TL) is increasingly performed for the short bowel syndrome. Our aim was to evaluate the effect of TL on canine intestinal structure and function.

METHODS

Two groups of 5 dogs had 75% distal intestinal resection. Twelve weeks later, serosal electrodes were placed in one group (RO) and tapering and lengthening of 10 to 15 cm distal intestine and electrode placement was performed in the other group (TL). Nutritional status and intestinal absorption, motility, and hormone release were assessed every 4 weeks for 12 weeks after the second procedure.

RESULTS

The animals with the lengthening had diminished body weight (75% +/- 2% versus 81% +/- 4%, P < 0.05) and albumin levels (2.4 +/- 0.2 g/dL versus 2.9 +/- 0.5 g/dL, P < 0.05) and impaired absorption (stool fat 18% +/- 6% versus 10% +/- 3%, P < 0.05) compared with those that had undergone resection alone. The intestinal adaptive response was blunted in the TL group (villus height 328 +/- 90 microns versus 410 +/- 36 microns, P < 0.05). Transit time was prolonged 4 and 8 weeks (19 +/- 6 min and 18 +/- 5 min, respectively, versus 11 +/- 3 min, P < 0.05) after TL. Myoelectrical recordings showed a drop in slow wave frequency and impaired migration of Phase III of the migrating motor complex within the tapered and lengthened segments (P < 0.05). Both fasting and postprandial serum gastrin levels were two times greater in the TL group (P < 0.05). Enteroglucagon levels were increased after resection alone; this increase was attenuated by more than 50% in the TL group (P < 0.05). The somatostatin response to feeding was substantially greater in the TL animals.

CONCLUSIONS

TL impairs nutritional status and intestinal absorption and adaptation following massive resection. The changes in absorption and transit may be related, in part, to motor disruption and hypergastrinemia. The impaired adaptation is possibly related to decreased enteroglucagon and increased somatostatin levels.