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Chanpong A, Alves MM, Bonora E, De Giorgio R, Thapar N. Evaluating the molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying gut motility disorders. Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2023; 17:1301-1312. [PMID: 38117595 DOI: 10.1080/17474124.2023.2296558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/14/2023] [Indexed: 12/22/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders comprise a wide range of different diseases affecting the structural or functional integrity of the GI neuromusculature. Their clinical presentation and burden of disease depends on the predominant location and extent of gut involvement as well as the component of the gut neuromusculature affected. AREAS COVERED A comprehensive literature review was conducted using the PubMed and Medline databases to identify articles related to GI motility and functional disorders, published between 2016 and 2023. In this article, we highlight the current knowledge of molecular and genetic mechanisms underlying GI dysmotility, including disorders of gut-brain interaction, which involve both GI motor and sensory disturbance. EXPERT OPINION Although the pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms underlying many such disorders remain unclear, recent advances in the assessment of intestinal tissue samples, genetic testing with the application of 'omics' technologies and the use of animal models will provide better insights into disease pathogenesis as well as opportunities to improve therapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atchariya Chanpong
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, Thailand
- Neurogastroenterology & Motility Unit, Gastroenterology Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, UK
| | - Maria M Alves
- Department of Clinical Genetics, Erasmus University Medical Center, Sophia Children's Hospital, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Elena Bonora
- Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, DIMEC, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- U.O. Genetica Medica, IRCCS Azienda Ospedaliero-Universitaria di Bologna, AOUB, Bologna, Italy
| | - Roberto De Giorgio
- Department of Translational Sciences, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Nikhil Thapar
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, UK
- Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Liver Transplant, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Australia
- School of Medicine, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
- Woolworths Centre for Child Nutrition Research, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia
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Rueckert H, Ganz J. How to Heal the Gut's Brain: Regeneration of the Enteric Nervous System. Int J Mol Sci 2022; 23:ijms23094799. [PMID: 35563190 PMCID: PMC9105052 DOI: 10.3390/ijms23094799] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 04/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/20/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
The neural-crest-derived enteric nervous system (ENS) is the intrinsic nervous system of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and controls all gut functions, including motility. Lack of ENS neurons causes various ENS disorders such as Hirschsprung Disease. One treatment option for ENS disorders includes the activation of resident stem cells to regenerate ENS neurons. Regeneration in the ENS has mainly been studied in mammalian species using surgical or chemically induced injury methods. These mammalian studies showed a variety of regenerative responses with generally limited regeneration of ENS neurons but (partial) regrowth and functional recovery of nerve fibers. Several aspects might contribute to the variety in regenerative responses, including observation time after injury, species, and gut region targeted. Zebrafish have recently emerged as a promising model system to study ENS regeneration as larvae possess the ability to generate new neurons after ablation. As the next steps in ENS regeneration research, we need a detailed understanding of how regeneration is regulated on a cellular and molecular level in animal models with both high and low regenerative capacity. Understanding the regulatory programs necessary for robust ENS regeneration will pave the way for using neural regeneration as a therapeutic approach to treating ENS disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helen Rueckert
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
- Department of Cell Biology, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
- Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Julia Ganz
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA;
- Correspondence:
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Chanpong A, Borrelli O, Thapar N. Hirschsprung disease and Paediatric Intestinal Pseudo-obstruction. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol 2021; 56-57:101765. [PMID: 35331399 DOI: 10.1016/j.bpg.2021.101765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Revised: 09/13/2021] [Accepted: 09/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) and Paediatric Intestinal Pseudo-obstruction (PIPO) comprise two of the most recognized and severe disorders of gastrointestinal (GI) motility. HSCR is a developmental disorder of the enteric nervous system invariably affecting the large intestine, whereas the majority of PIPO conditions represent congenital disorders of one or more components of the neuromusculature and more diffusely affect the GI tract. Histopathology is deemed the gold standard for the diagnosis of HSCR and, arguably, of PIPO, but, other diagnostic modalities such as manometric and genetic studies have seen recent advances that may increase their utility. Especially for PIPO, management is multidisciplinary and best performed in specialist referral centres. Surgery remains the only viable treatment for HSCR and appears essential to optimize and sustain feeding and viability of intestinal function in PIPO patients. Novel therapies such as neural stem cell transplants show promise for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Atchariya Chanpong
- Neurogastroenterology & Motility Unit, Gastroenterology Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, WC1N 3JH, United Kingdom; Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla, 90110, Thailand; Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom
| | - Osvaldo Borrelli
- Neurogastroenterology & Motility Unit, Gastroenterology Department, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children, London, WC1N 3JH, United Kingdom
| | - Nikhil Thapar
- Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine, UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, London, WC1N 1EH, United Kingdom; Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Liver Transplant, Queensland Children's Hospital, Brisbane, Queensland, 4101, Australia.
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Soret R, Schneider S, Bernas G, Christophers B, Souchkova O, Charrier B, Righini-Grunder F, Aspirot A, Landry M, Kembel SW, Faure C, Heuckeroth RO, Pilon N. Glial Cell-Derived Neurotrophic Factor Induces Enteric Neurogenesis and Improves Colon Structure and Function in Mouse Models of Hirschsprung Disease. Gastroenterology 2020; 159:1824-1838.e17. [PMID: 32687927 DOI: 10.1053/j.gastro.2020.07.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Revised: 06/25/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND & AIMS Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a life-threatening birth defect in which the distal colon is devoid of enteric neural ganglia. HSCR is treated by surgical removal of aganglionic bowel, but many children continue to have severe problems after surgery. We studied whether administration of glial cell derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) induces enteric nervous system regeneration in mouse models of HSCR. METHODS We performed studies with four mouse models of HSCR: Holstein (HolTg/Tg, a model for trisomy 21-associated HSCR), TashT (TashTTg/Tg, a model for male-biased HSCR), Piebald-lethal (Ednrbs-l//s-l, a model for EDNRB mutation-associated HSCR), and Ret9/- (with aganglionosis induced by mycophenolate). Mice were given rectal enemas containing GDNF or saline (control) from postnatal days 4 through 8. We measured survival times of mice, and colon tissues were analyzed by histology, immunofluorescence, and immunoblots. Neural ganglia regeneration and structure, bowel motility, epithelial permeability, muscle thickness, and neutrophil infiltration were studied in colon tissues and in mice. Stool samples were collected, and microbiomes were analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Time-lapse imaging and genetic cell-lineage tracing were used to identify a source of GDNF-targeted neural progenitors. Human aganglionic colon explants from children with HSCR were cultured with GDNF and evaluated for neurogenesis. RESULTS GDNF significantly prolonged mean survival times of HolTg/Tg mice, Ednrbs-l//s-l mice, and male TashTTg/Tg mice, compared with control mice, but not Ret9/- mice (which had mycophenolate toxicity). Mice given GDNF developed neurons and glia in distal bowel tissues that were aganglionic in control mice, had a significant increase in colon motility, and had significant decreases in epithelial permeability, muscle thickness, and neutrophil density. We observed dysbiosis in fecal samples from HolTg/Tg mice compared with feces from wild-type mice; fecal microbiomes of mice given GDNF were similar to those of wild-type mice except for Bacteroides. Exogenous luminal GDNF penetrated aganglionic colon epithelium of HolTg/Tg mice, inducing production of endogenous GDNF, and new enteric neurons and glia appeared to arise from Schwann cells within extrinsic nerves. GDNF application to cultured explants of human aganglionic bowel induced proliferation of Schwann cells and formation of new neurons. CONCLUSIONS GDNF prolonged survival, induced enteric neurogenesis, and improved colon structure and function in 3 mouse models of HSCR. Application of GDNF to cultured explants of aganglionic bowel from children with HSCR induced proliferation of Schwann cells and formation of new neurons. GDNF might be developed for treatment of HSCR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodolphe Soret
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada; Centre d'excellence en recherche sur les maladies orphelines-Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Sabine Schneider
- Department of Pediatrics, the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Guillaume Bernas
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Briana Christophers
- Department of Pediatrics, the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Ouliana Souchkova
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada; Centre d'excellence en recherche sur les maladies orphelines-Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Baptiste Charrier
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada; Centre d'excellence en recherche sur les maladies orphelines-Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Franziska Righini-Grunder
- Division de gastroentérologie, hépatologie et nutrition pédiatrique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Ann Aspirot
- Division de chirurgie pédiatrique, Centre hospitalier universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Département de pédiatrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Mathieu Landry
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Steven W Kembel
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada; Centre d'excellence en recherche sur les maladies orphelines-Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Christophe Faure
- Centre d'excellence en recherche sur les maladies orphelines-Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Division de gastroentérologie, hépatologie et nutrition pédiatrique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire Sainte-Justine, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Département de pédiatrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada
| | - Robert O Heuckeroth
- Department of Pediatrics, the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
| | - Nicolas Pilon
- Département des Sciences Biologiques, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM), Montréal, Québec, Canada; Centre d'excellence en recherche sur les maladies orphelines-Fondation Courtois (CERMO-FC), Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada; Département de pédiatrie, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Québec, Canada.
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