1
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Chen BN, Humenick AG, Hibberd TJ, Yew WP, Wattchow DA, Dinning PG, Costa M, Spencer NJ, Brookes SJH. Characterization of viscerofugal neurons in human colon by retrograde tracing and multi-layer immunohistochemistry. Front Neurosci 2024; 17:1313057. [PMID: 38292899 PMCID: PMC10825022 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1313057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims Viscerofugal neurons (VFNs) have cell bodies in the myenteric plexus and axons that project to sympathetic prevertebral ganglia. In animals they activate sympathetic motility reflexes and may modulate glucose metabolism and feeding. We used rapid retrograde tracing from colonic nerves to identify VFNs in human colon for the first time, using ex vivo preparations with multi-layer immunohistochemistry. Methods Colonic nerves were identified in isolated preparations of human colon and set up for axonal tracing with biotinamide. After fixation, labeled VFN cell bodies were subjected to multiplexed immunohistochemistry for 12 established nerve cell body markers. Results Biotinamide tracing filled 903 viscerofugal nerve cell bodies (n = 23), most of which (85%) had axons projecting orally before entering colonic nerves. Morphologically, 97% of VFNs were uni-axonal. Of 215 VFNs studied in detail, 89% expressed ChAT, 13% NOS, 13% calbindin, 9% enkephalin, 7% substance P and 0 of 123 VFNs expressed CART. Few VFNs contained calretinin, VIP, 5HT, CGRP, or NPY. VFNs were often surrounded by dense baskets of axonal varicosities, probably reflecting patterns of connectivity; VAChT+ (cholinergic), SP+ and ENK+ varicosities were most abundant around them. Human VFNs were diverse; showing 27 combinations of immunohistochemical markers, 4 morphological types and a wide range of cell body sizes. However, 69% showed chemical coding, axonal projections, soma-dendritic morphology and connectivity similar to enteric excitatory motor neurons. Conclusion Viscerofugal neurons are present in human colon and show very diverse combinations of features. High proportions express ChAT, consistent with cholinergic synaptic outputs onto postganglionic sympathetic neurons in prevertebral ganglia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bao Nan Chen
- Human Physiology, Medical Bioscience, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Adam G. Humenick
- Human Physiology, Medical Bioscience, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Timothy James Hibberd
- Human Physiology, Medical Bioscience, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Wai Ping Yew
- Human Physiology, Medical Bioscience, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - David A. Wattchow
- Department of Surgery, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Phil G. Dinning
- Department of Surgery, Flinders Medical Centre, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Marcello Costa
- Human Physiology, Medical Bioscience, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Nick J. Spencer
- Human Physiology, Medical Bioscience, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Simon J. H. Brookes
- Human Physiology, Medical Bioscience, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, SA, Australia
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2
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Sharkey KA, Mawe GM. The enteric nervous system. Physiol Rev 2023; 103:1487-1564. [PMID: 36521049 PMCID: PMC9970663 DOI: 10.1152/physrev.00018.2022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 58.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2022] [Revised: 12/12/2022] [Accepted: 12/15/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Of all the organ systems in the body, the gastrointestinal tract is the most complicated in terms of the numbers of structures involved, each with different functions, and the numbers and types of signaling molecules utilized. The digestion of food and absorption of nutrients, electrolytes, and water occurs in a hostile luminal environment that contains a large and diverse microbiota. At the core of regulatory control of the digestive and defensive functions of the gastrointestinal tract is the enteric nervous system (ENS), a complex system of neurons and glia in the gut wall. In this review, we discuss 1) the intrinsic neural control of gut functions involved in digestion and 2) how the ENS interacts with the immune system, gut microbiota, and epithelium to maintain mucosal defense and barrier function. We highlight developments that have revolutionized our understanding of the physiology and pathophysiology of enteric neural control. These include a new understanding of the molecular architecture of the ENS, the organization and function of enteric motor circuits, and the roles of enteric glia. We explore the transduction of luminal stimuli by enteroendocrine cells, the regulation of intestinal barrier function by enteric neurons and glia, local immune control by the ENS, and the role of the gut microbiota in regulating the structure and function of the ENS. Multifunctional enteric neurons work together with enteric glial cells, macrophages, interstitial cells, and enteroendocrine cells integrating an array of signals to initiate outputs that are precisely regulated in space and time to control digestion and intestinal homeostasis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith A Sharkey
- Hotchkiss Brain Institute and Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases, Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Gary M Mawe
- Department of Neurological Sciences, Larner College of Medicine, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont
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3
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Smolilo DJ, Hibberd TJ, Costa M, Dinning PG, Keightley LJ, De Fontgalland D, Wattchow D, Spencer NJ. Stimulation of extrinsic sympathetic nerves differentially affects neurogenic motor activity in guinea pig distal colon. Physiol Rep 2023; 11:e15567. [PMID: 36636780 PMCID: PMC9837477 DOI: 10.14814/phy2.15567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Revised: 12/25/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The speed of pellet propulsion through the isolated guinea pig distal colon in vitro significantly exceeds in vivo measurements, suggesting a role for inhibitory mechanisms from sources outside the gut. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sympathetic nerve stimulation on three different neurogenic motor behaviors of the distal colon: transient neural events (TNEs), colonic motor complexes (CMCs), and pellet propulsion. To do this, segments of guinea pig distal colon with intact connections to the inferior mesenteric ganglion (IMG) were set up in organ baths allowing for simultaneous extracellular suction electrode recordings from smooth muscle, video recordings for diameter mapping, and intraluminal manometry. Electrical stimulation (1-20 Hz) of colonic nerves surrounding the inferior mesenteric artery caused a statistically significant, frequency-dependent inhibition of TNEs, as well as single pellet propulsion, from frequencies of 5 Hz and greater. Significant inhibition of CMCs required stimulation frequencies of 10 Hz and greater. Phentolamine (3.6 μM) abolished effects of colonic nerve stimulation, consistent with a sympathetic noradrenergic mechanism. Sympathetic inhibition was constrained to regions with intact extrinsic nerve pathways, allowing normal motor behaviors to continue without modulation in adjacent extrinsically denervated regions of the same colonic segments. The results demonstrate differential sensitivities to sympathetic input among distinct neurogenic motor behaviors of the colon. Together with findings indicating CMCs activate colo-colonic sympathetic reflexes through the IMG, these results raise the possibility that CMCs may paradoxically facilitate suppression of pellet movement in vivo, through peripheral sympathetic reflex circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- David J. Smolilo
- College of Medicine and Public HealthFlinders UniversityAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Timothy J. Hibberd
- College of Medicine and Public HealthFlinders UniversityAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Marcello Costa
- College of Medicine and Public HealthFlinders UniversityAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Phil G. Dinning
- College of Medicine and Public HealthFlinders UniversityAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
- Department of SurgeryFlinders Medical CentreBedford ParkSouth AustraliaAustralia
- Department of GastroenterologyFlinders Medical CentreBedford ParkSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Lauren J. Keightley
- College of Medicine and Public HealthFlinders UniversityAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Dayan De Fontgalland
- Department of SurgeryFlinders Medical CentreBedford ParkSouth AustraliaAustralia
- Department of GastroenterologyFlinders Medical CentreBedford ParkSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - David A. Wattchow
- Department of SurgeryFlinders Medical CentreBedford ParkSouth AustraliaAustralia
- Department of GastroenterologyFlinders Medical CentreBedford ParkSouth AustraliaAustralia
| | - Nick J. Spencer
- College of Medicine and Public HealthFlinders UniversityAdelaideSouth AustraliaAustralia
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4
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Schneider KM, Kim J, Bahnsen K, Heuckeroth RO, Thaiss CA. Environmental perception and control of gastrointestinal immunity by the enteric nervous system. Trends Mol Med 2022; 28:989-1005. [PMID: 36208986 DOI: 10.1016/j.molmed.2022.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 09/07/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The enteric nervous system (ENS) forms a versatile sensory system along the gastrointestinal tract that interacts with most cell types in the bowel. Herein, we portray host-environment interactions at the intestinal mucosal surface through the lens of the enteric nervous system. We describe local cellular interactions as well as long-range circuits between the enteric, central, and peripheral nervous systems. Additionally, we discuss recently discovered mechanisms by which enteric neurons and glia respond to biotic and abiotic environmental changes and how they regulate intestinal immunity and inflammation. The enteric nervous system emerges as an integrative sensory system with manifold immunoregulatory functions under both homeostatic and pathophysiological conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kai Markus Schneider
- Microbiology Department, Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Jihee Kim
- Microbiology Department, Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Klaas Bahnsen
- Microbiology Department, Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA
| | - Robert O Heuckeroth
- Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA; Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - Christoph A Thaiss
- Microbiology Department, Institute for Immunology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA; Institute for Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, PA, USA.
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5
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Yang H, Hou C, Xiao W, Qiu Y. The role of mechanosensitive ion channels in the gastrointestinal tract. Front Physiol 2022; 13:904203. [PMID: 36060694 PMCID: PMC9437298 DOI: 10.3389/fphys.2022.904203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Mechanosensation is essential for normal gastrointestinal (GI) function, and abnormalities in mechanosensation are associated with GI disorders. There are several mechanosensitive ion channels in the GI tract, namely transient receptor potential (TRP) channels, Piezo channels, two-pore domain potassium (K2p) channels, voltage-gated ion channels, large-conductance Ca2+-activated K+ (BKCa) channels, and the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). These channels are located in many mechanosensitive intestinal cell types, namely enterochromaffin (EC) cells, interstitial cells of Cajal (ICCs), smooth muscle cells (SMCs), and intrinsic and extrinsic enteric neurons. In these cells, mechanosensitive ion channels can alter transmembrane ion currents in response to mechanical forces, through a process known as mechanoelectrical coupling. Furthermore, mechanosensitive ion channels are often associated with a variety of GI tract disorders, including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and GI tumors. Mechanosensitive ion channels could therefore provide a new perspective for the treatment of GI diseases. This review aims to highlight recent research advances regarding the function of mechanosensitive ion channels in the GI tract. Moreover, it outlines the potential role of mechanosensitive ion channels in related diseases, while describing the current understanding of interactions between the GI tract and mechanosensitive ion channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- Haoyu Yang
- Experimental Center of Basic Medicine, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Chaofeng Hou
- Experimental Center of Basic Medicine, College of Basic Medical Sciences, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Weidong Xiao
- Department of General Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
| | - Yuan Qiu
- Department of General Surgery, Xinqiao Hospital, Army Medical University, Chongqing, China
- *Correspondence: Yuan Qiu,
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6
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Mercado-Perez A, Beyder A. Gut feelings: mechanosensing in the gastrointestinal tract. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2022; 19:283-296. [PMID: 35022607 PMCID: PMC9059832 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-021-00561-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 21.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
The primary function of the gut is to procure nutrients. Synchronized mechanical activities underlie nearly all its endeavours. Coordination of mechanical activities depends on sensing of the mechanical forces, in a process called mechanosensation. The gut has a range of mechanosensory cells. They function either as specialized mechanoreceptors, which convert mechanical stimuli into coordinated physiological responses at the organ level, or as non-specialized mechanosensory cells that adjust their function based on the mechanical state of their environment. All major cell types in the gastrointestinal tract contain subpopulations that act as specialized mechanoreceptors: epithelia, smooth muscle, neurons, immune cells, and others. These cells are tuned to the physical properties of the surrounding tissue, so they can discriminate mechanical stimuli from the baseline mechanical state. The importance of gastrointestinal mechanosensation has long been recognized, but the latest discoveries of molecular identities of mechanosensors and technical advances that resolve the relevant circuitry have poised the field to make important intellectual leaps. This Review describes the mechanical factors relevant for normal function, as well as the molecules, cells and circuits involved in gastrointestinal mechanosensing. It concludes by outlining important unanswered questions in gastrointestinal mechanosensing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaldo Mercado-Perez
- Enteric NeuroScience Program (ENSP), Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Arthur Beyder
- Enteric NeuroScience Program (ENSP), Division of Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
- Department of Physiology & Biomedical Engineering, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
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7
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Neural signalling of gut mechanosensation in ingestive and digestive processes. Nat Rev Neurosci 2022; 23:135-156. [PMID: 34983992 DOI: 10.1038/s41583-021-00544-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/16/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Eating and drinking generate sequential mechanosensory signals along the digestive tract. These signals are communicated to the brain for the timely initiation and regulation of diverse ingestive and digestive processes - ranging from appetite control and tactile perception to gut motility, digestive fluid secretion and defecation - that are vital for the proper intake, breakdown and absorption of nutrients and water. Gut mechanosensation has been investigated for over a century as a common pillar of energy, fluid and gastrointestinal homeostasis, and recent discoveries of specific mechanoreceptors, contributing ion channels and the well-defined circuits underlying gut mechanosensation signalling and function have further expanded our understanding of ingestive and digestive processes at the molecular and cellular levels. In this Review, we discuss our current understanding of the generation of mechanosensory signals from the digestive periphery, the neural afferent pathways that relay these signals to the brain and the neural circuit mechanisms that control ingestive and digestive processes, focusing on the four major digestive tract parts: the oral and pharyngeal cavities, oesophagus, stomach and intestines. We also discuss the clinical implications of gut mechanosensation in ingestive and digestive disorders.
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8
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Enteric Control of the Sympathetic Nervous System. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2022; 1383:89-103. [PMID: 36587149 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-05843-1_9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
The autonomic nervous system that regulates the gut is divided into sympathetic (SNS), parasympathetic (PNS), and enteric nervous systems (ENS). They inhibit, permit, and coordinate gastrointestinal motility, respectively. A fourth pathway, "extrinsic sensory neurons," connect gut to the central nervous system, mediating sensation. The ENS resides within the gut wall and its activities are critical for life; ENS failure to populate the gut in development is lethal without intervention."Viscerofugal neurons" are a distinctive class of enteric neurons, being the only type that escapes the gut wall. They form a unique circuit: their axons project out of the gut wall and activate sympathetic neurons, which then project back to the gut, and inhibit gut movements.For 80 years viscerofugal/sympathetic circuits were thought to have a restricted role, mediating simple sensory-motor reflexes. New data shows viscerofugal and sympathetic neurons behaving unexpectedly, compelling a re-evaluation of these circuits: both viscerofugal and sympathetic neurons transmit higher order, synchronized firing patterns that originate within the ENS. This identifies them as driving long-range motility control between different gut regions.There is need for gut motor control over distances beyond the range of ENS circuits, yet no mechanism has been identified to date. The entero-sympathetic circuits are ideally suited to meet this need. Here we provide an overview of the structure and functions of these peripheral sympathetic circuits, including new data showing the firing patterns generated by enteric networks can transmit through sympathetic neurons.
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9
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Abstract
The gut-brain axis is a coordinated communication system that not only maintains homeostasis, but significantly influences higher cognitive functions and emotions, as well as neurological and behavioral disorders. Among the large populations of sensory and motor neurons that innervate the gut, insights into the function of primary afferent nociceptors, whose cell bodies reside in the dorsal root ganglia and nodose ganglia, have revealed their multiple crosstalk with several cell types within the gut wall, including epithelial, vascular, and immune cells. These bidirectional communications have immunoregulatory functions, control host response to pathogens, and modulate sensations associated with gastrointestinal disorders, through activation of immune cells and glia in the peripheral and central nervous system, respectively. Here, we will review the cellular and neurochemical basis of these interactions at the periphery, in dorsal root ganglia, and in the spinal cord. We will discuss the research gaps that should be addressed to get a better understanding of the multifunctional role of sensory neurons in maintaining gut homeostasis and regulating visceral sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasser Abdullah
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Inflammation Research Network-Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Manon Defaye
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Inflammation Research Network-Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Christophe Altier
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Inflammation Research Network-Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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10
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Rea K, Dinan TG, Cryan JF. Gut Microbiota: A Perspective for Psychiatrists. Neuropsychobiology 2020; 79:50-62. [PMID: 31726457 DOI: 10.1159/000504495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2018] [Accepted: 10/31/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
There is mounting evidence that the trillions of microbes that inhabit our gut are a substantial contributing factor to mental health and, equally, to the progression of neuropsychiatric disorders. The extraordinary complexity of the gut ecosystem, and how it interacts with the intestinal epithelium to manifest physiological changes in the brain to influence mood and behaviour, has been the subject of intense scientific scrutiny over the last 2 decades. To further complicate matters, we each harbour a unique microbiota community that is subject to change by a number of factors including diet, exercise, stress, health status, genetics, medication, and age, amongst others. The microbiota-gut-brain axis is a dynamic matrix of tissues and organs including the gastrointestinal (GI) microbiota, immune cells, gut tissue, glands, the autonomic nervous system (ANS), and the brain that communicate in a complex multidirectional manner through a number of anatomically and physiologically distinct systems. Long-term perturbations to this homeostatic environment may contribute to the progression of a number of disorders by altering physiological processes including hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis activation, neurotransmitter systems, immune function, and the inflammatory response. While an appropriate, co-ordinated physiological response, such as an immune or stress response, is necessary for survival, a dysfunctional response can be detrimental to the host, contributing to the development of a number of central nervous system disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kieran Rea
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Timothy G Dinan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioural Science, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - John F Cryan
- APC Microbiome Ireland, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland, .,Department of Anatomy and Neuroscience, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland,
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11
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Muller PA, Matheis F, Schneeberger M, Kerner Z, Jové V, Mucida D. Microbiota-modulated CART + enteric neurons autonomously regulate blood glucose. Science 2020; 370:314-321. [PMID: 32855216 PMCID: PMC7886298 DOI: 10.1126/science.abd6176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
The gut microbiota affects tissue physiology, metabolism, and function of both the immune and nervous systems. We found that intrinsic enteric-associated neurons (iEANs) in mice are functionally adapted to the intestinal segment they occupy; ileal and colonic neurons are more responsive to microbial colonization than duodenal neurons. Specifically, a microbially responsive subset of viscerofugal CART+ neurons, enriched in the ileum and colon, modulated feeding and glucose metabolism. These CART+ neurons send axons to the prevertebral ganglia and are polysynaptically connected to the liver and pancreas. Microbiota depletion led to NLRP6- and caspase 11-dependent loss of CART+ neurons and impaired glucose regulation. Hence, iEAN subsets appear to be capable of regulating blood glucose levels independently from the central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul A Muller
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
| | - Fanny Matheis
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Marc Schneeberger
- Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Zachary Kerner
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Veronica Jové
- Laboratory of Neurogenetics and Behavior, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Daniel Mucida
- Laboratory of Mucosal Immunology, The Rockefeller University, New York, NY, USA.
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12
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Compression and stretch sensitive submucosal neurons of the porcine and human colon. Sci Rep 2020; 10:13791. [PMID: 32796868 PMCID: PMC7428018 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-70216-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
The pig is commonly believed to be a relevant model for human gut functions-however, there are only a few comparative studies and none on neural control mechanisms. To address this lack we identified as one central aspect mechanosensitive enteric neurons (MEN) in porcine and human colon. We used neuroimaging techniques to record responses to tensile or compressive forces in submucous neurons. Compression and stretch caused Ca-transients and immediate spike discharge in 5-11% of porcine and 15-24% of human enteric neurons. The majority of these MEN exclusively responded to either stimulus quality but about 9% responded to both. Most of the MEN expressed choline acetyltransferase and substance P; nitric oxide synthase-positive MEN primarily occurred in distal colon. The findings reveal common features of MEN in human and pig colon which we interpret as a result of species-independent evolutionary conservation rather than a specific functional proximity between the two species.
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13
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A Novel Mode of Sympathetic Reflex Activation Mediated by the Enteric Nervous System. eNeuro 2020; 7:ENEURO.0187-20.2020. [PMID: 32675175 PMCID: PMC7418536 DOI: 10.1523/eneuro.0187-20.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2020] [Revised: 07/04/2020] [Accepted: 07/07/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Enteric viscerofugal neurons provide a pathway by which the enteric nervous system (ENS), otherwise confined to the gut wall, can activate sympathetic neurons in prevertebral ganglia. Firing transmitted through these pathways is currently considered fundamentally mechanosensory. The mouse colon generates a cyclical pattern of neurogenic contractile activity, called the colonic motor complex (CMC). Motor complexes involve a highly coordinated firing pattern in myenteric neurons with a frequency of ∼2 Hz. However, it remains unknown how viscerofugal neurons are activated and communicate with the sympathetic nervous system during this naturally-occurring motor pattern. Here, viscerofugal neurons were recorded extracellularly from rectal nerve trunks in isolated tube and flat-sheet preparations of mouse colon held at fixed circumferential length. In freshly dissected preparations, motor complexes were associated with bursts of viscerofugal firing at 2 Hz that aligned with 2-Hz smooth muscle voltage oscillations. This behavior persisted during muscle paralysis with nicardipine. Identical recordings were made after a 4- to 5-d organotypic culture during which extrinsic nerves degenerated, confirming that recordings were from viscerofugal neurons. Single unit analysis revealed the burst firing pattern emerging from assemblies of viscerofugal neurons differed from individual neurons, which typically made partial contributions, highlighting the importance and extent of ENS-mediated synchronization. Finally, sympathetic neuron firing was recorded from the central nerve trunks emerging from the inferior mesenteric ganglion. Increased sympathetic neuron firing accompanied all motor complexes with a 2-Hz burst pattern similar to viscerofugal neurons. These data provide evidence for a novel mechanism of sympathetic reflex activation derived from synchronized firing output generated by the ENS.
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14
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Spencer NJ, Hu H. Enteric nervous system: sensory transduction, neural circuits and gastrointestinal motility. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2020; 17:338-351. [PMID: 32152479 PMCID: PMC7474470 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-020-0271-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 271] [Impact Index Per Article: 67.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The gastrointestinal tract is the only internal organ to have evolved with its own independent nervous system, known as the enteric nervous system (ENS). This Review provides an update on advances that have been made in our understanding of how neurons within the ENS coordinate sensory and motor functions. Understanding this function is critical for determining how deficits in neurogenic motor patterns arise. Knowledge of how distension or chemical stimulation of the bowel evokes sensory responses in the ENS and central nervous system have progressed, including critical elements that underlie the mechanotransduction of distension-evoked colonic peristalsis. Contrary to original thought, evidence suggests that mucosal serotonin is not required for peristalsis or colonic migrating motor complexes, although it can modulate their characteristics. Chemosensory stimuli applied to the lumen can release substances from enteroendocrine cells, which could subsequently modulate ENS activity. Advances have been made in optogenetic technologies, such that specific neurochemical classes of enteric neurons can be stimulated. A major focus of this Review will be the latest advances in our understanding of how intrinsic sensory neurons in the ENS detect and respond to sensory stimuli and how these mechanisms differ from extrinsic sensory nerve endings in the gut that underlie the gut-brain axis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick J Spencer
- College of Medicine and Public Health & Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia.
| | - Hongzhen Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology, The Center for the Study of Itch, Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, MO, USA
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15
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Characterisation of One Class of Group III Sensory Neurons Innervating Abdominal Muscles of the Mouse. Neuroscience 2019; 421:162-175. [PMID: 31682818 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2019.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2019] [Revised: 09/11/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Group III/IV striated muscle afferents are small diameter sensory neurons that play important roles in reflexes and sensation. To date, the morphological features of physiologically characterised group III/IV muscular afferents have not been identified. Here, the electrophysiological and morphological characteristics of sensory neurons innervating striated muscles of the mouse abdominal wall were investigated, ex vivo. Extracellular recordings were made from subcostal nerve trunks innervating the muscles. A distinctive class of mechanosensitive afferents was identified by a combination of physiological features including sensitivity to local compression, saturating response to graded stretch and, in most cases, absence of spontaneous firing. Studies were restricted to these distinctive units. These units had conduction velocities averaging 14 ± 4 m/s (range: 8-20 m/s, n = 7); within the range of group III fibres in mice. Von Frey hairs were used to map receptive fields, which covered an area of 0.36 ± 0.18 mm2 (n = 7). In 7 preparations, biotinamide filling of recorded nerve trunks revealed a single axon in the marked receptive field, with distinctive axonal branching and terminations meandering through the connective tissue sandwiched between two closely associated muscle layers. These axons were not immunoreactive for CGRP (n = 7) and were not activated by application of capsaicin (1 µM, n = 14). All of these afferents were strongly activated by a "metabolite mix" containing lactate, adenosine triphosphate and reduced pH. Responses to mechanical stimuli and to metabolites were additive. We have characterised a distinctive class of mechano- and chemo-sensitive group III afferent endings associated with connective tissue close to muscle fibres.
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Lepiarczyk E, Bossowska A, Skowrońska A, Majewski M. A study on preganglionic connections and possible viscerofugal projections from urinary bladder intramural ganglia to the caudal mesenteric ganglion in the pig. J Anat 2018; 234:263-273. [PMID: 30468248 DOI: 10.1111/joa.12916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/30/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The present study was designed to (1) ascertain the distribution and immunohistochemical characteristics of sympathetic preganglionic neurons supplying the caudal mesenteric ganglion (CaMG) and (2) verify the existence of viscerofugal projections from the urinary bladder trigone intramural ganglia (UBT-IG) to the CaMG in female pigs (n = 6). Combined retrograde tracing and immunofluorescence methods were used. Injections of the neuronal tracer Fast Blue (FB) into the right CaMG revealed no retrogradely labelled (FB-positive; FB+ ) nerve cells in the intramural ganglia; however, many FB+ neurons were found in the spinal cord sympathetic nuclei. Double-labelling immunohistochemistry revealed that nearly all (99.4 ± 0.6%) retrogradely labelled neurons were cholinergic (choline acetyltransferase-positive; ChAT+ ) in nature. Many FB+ /ChAT+ perikarya stained positive for vesicular acetylcholine transporter (63.11 ± 5.34%), neuronal nitric oxide synthase (53.48 ± 9.62%) or cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript peptide (41.13 ± 4.77%). A small number of the retrogradely labelled cells revealed immunoreactivity for calcitonin gene-related peptide (7.60 ± 1.34%) or pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (4.57 ± 1.43%). The present study provides the first detailed information on the arrangement and chemical features of preganglionic neurons projecting to the porcine CaMG and, importantly, strong evidence suggesting the absence of viscerofugal projections from the UBT-IG.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ewa Lepiarczyk
- Department of Human Physiology, School Of Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Bossowska
- Department of Human Physiology, School Of Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Agnieszka Skowrońska
- Department of Human Physiology, School Of Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
| | - Mariusz Majewski
- Department of Human Physiology, School Of Medicine, University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, Olsztyn, Poland
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17
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Buckley MM, O'Malley D. Development of an ex Vivo Method for Multi-unit Recording of Microbiota-Colonic-Neural Signaling in Real Time. Front Neurosci 2018. [PMID: 29535604 PMCID: PMC5835233 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2018.00112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Objectives: Bidirectional signaling between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain is vital for maintaining whole-body homeostasis. Moreover, emerging evidence implicates vagal afferent signaling in the modulation of host physiology by microbes, which are most abundant in the colon. This study aims to optimize and advance dissection and recording techniques to facilitate real-time recordings of afferent neural signals originating in the distal colon. New Protocol: This paper describes a dissection technique, which facilitates extracellular electrophysiological recordings from visceral pelvic, spinal and vagal afferent neurons in response to stimulation of the distal colon. Examples of Application: Focal application of 75 mM KCl to a section of distal colon with exposed submucosal or myenteric nerve cell bodies and sensory nerve endings evoked activity in the superior mesenteric plexus and the vagal nerve. Noradrenaline stimulated nerve activity in the superior mesenteric plexus, whereas application of carbachol stimulated vagal nerve activity. Exposure of an ex vivo section of distal colon with an intact colonic mucosa to peptidoglycan, but not lipopolysaccharide, evoked vagal nerve firing. Discussion: Previous studies have recorded vagal signaling evoked by bacteria in the small intestine. The technical advances of this dissection and recording technique facilitates recording of afferent nerve signals evoked in extrinsic sensory pathways by neuromodulatory reagents applied to the distal colon. Moreover, we have demonstrated vagal afferent activation evoked by bacterial products applied to the distal colonic mucosa. This protocol may contribute to our understanding of functional bowel disorders where gut-brain communication is dysfunctional, and facilitate real-time interrogation of microbiota-gut-brain signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria M Buckley
- Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Dervla O'Malley
- Department of Physiology, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.,APC Microbiome Institute, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
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18
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Furness JB, Stebbing MJ. The first brain: Species comparisons and evolutionary implications for the enteric and central nervous systems. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2018; 30. [PMID: 29024273 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.13234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2017] [Accepted: 09/18/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The enteric nervous system (ENS) and the central nervous system (CNS) of mammals both contain integrative neural circuitry and similarities between them have led to the ENS being described as the brain in the gut. PURPOSE To explore relationships between the ENS and CNS across the animal kingdom. We found that an ENS occurs in all animals investigated, including hydra, echinoderms and hemichordates that do not have a CNS. The general form of the ENS, which consists of plexuses of neurons intrinsic to the gut wall and an innervation that controls muscle movements, is similar in species as varied and as far apart as hydra, sea cucumbers, annelid worms, octopus and humans. Moreover, neurochemical similarities across phyla imply a common origin of the ENS. Investigation of extant species suggests that the ENS developed in animals that preceded the division that led to cnidaria (exemplified by hydra) and bilateria, which includes the vertebrates. The CNS is deduced to be a bilaterian development, later than the divergence from cnidaria. Consistent with the ENS having developed independent of the CNS, reciprocal connections between ENS and CNS occur in mammals, and separate neurons of ENS and CNS origin converge on visceral organs and prevertebral ganglia. We conclude that an ENS arose before and independently of the CNS. Thus the ENS can be regarded as the first brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- J B Furness
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
| | - M J Stebbing
- Florey Institute of Neuroscience and Mental Health, Parkville, Vic, Australia
- Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Vic, Australia
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Kugler EM, Michel K, Kirchenbüchler D, Dreissen G, Csiszár A, Merkel R, Schemann M, Mazzuoli-Weber G. Sensitivity to Strain and Shear Stress of Isolated Mechanosensitive Enteric Neurons. Neuroscience 2018; 372:213-224. [PMID: 29317262 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2017.12.052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/16/2017] [Revised: 12/20/2017] [Accepted: 12/27/2017] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
Within the enteric nervous system, the neurons in charge to control motility of the gastrointestinal tract reside in a particular location nestled between two perpendicular muscle layers which contract and relax. We used primary cultured myenteric neurons of male guinea pigs to study mechanosensitivity of enteric neurons in isolation. Ultrafast Neuroimaging with a voltage-sensitive dye technique was used to record neuronal activity in response to shear stress and strain. Strain was induced by locally deforming the elastic cell culture substrate next to a neuron. Measurements showed that substrate strain was mostly elongating cells. Shear stress was exerted by hydrodynamic forces in a microchannel. Both stimuli induced excitatory responses. Strain activated 14% of the stimulated myenteric neurons that responded with a spike frequency of 1.9 (0.7/3.2) Hz, whereas shear stress excited only a few neurons (5.6%) with a very low spike frequency of 0 (0/0.6) Hz. Thus, shear stress does not seem to be an adequate stimulus for mechanosensitive enteric neurons (MEN) while strain activates enteric neurons in a relevant manner. Analyzing the adaptation behavior of MEN showed that shear stress activated rapidly/slowly/ultraslowly adapting MEN (2/62/36%) whereas strain only slowly (46%) and ultraslowly (54%) MEN. Paired experiments with strain and normal stress revealed three mechanosensitive enteric neuronal populations: one strain-sensitive (37%), one normal stress-sensitive (17%) and one strain- and stress-sensitive (46%). These results indicate that shear stress does not play a role in the neuronal control of motility but normal stress and strain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Maria Kugler
- Human Biology, Technische Universität München, Freising-Weihenstephan, 85354, Germany.
| | - Klaus Michel
- Human Biology, Technische Universität München, Freising-Weihenstephan, 85354, Germany.
| | - David Kirchenbüchler
- Institute of Complex Systems - Biomechanics, Research Center Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
| | - Georg Dreissen
- Institute of Complex Systems - Biomechanics, Research Center Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
| | - Agnes Csiszár
- Institute of Complex Systems - Biomechanics, Research Center Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
| | - Rudolf Merkel
- Institute of Complex Systems - Biomechanics, Research Center Jülich, 52425 Jülich, Germany.
| | - Michael Schemann
- Human Biology, Technische Universität München, Freising-Weihenstephan, 85354, Germany.
| | - Gemma Mazzuoli-Weber
- Human Biology, Technische Universität München, Freising-Weihenstephan, 85354, Germany.
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20
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Hibberd TJ, Travis L, Wiklendt L, Costa M, Brookes SJH, Hu H, Keating DJ, Spencer NJ. Synaptic activation of putative sensory neurons by hexamethonium-sensitive nerve pathways in mouse colon. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2018; 314:G53-G64. [PMID: 28935683 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00234.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
The gastrointestinal tract contains its own independent population of sensory neurons within the gut wall. These sensory neurons have been referred to as intrinsic primary afferent neurons (IPANs) and can be identified by immunoreactivity to calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in mice. A common feature of IPANs is a paucity of fast synaptic inputs observed during sharp microelectrode recordings. Whether this is observed using different recording techniques is of particular interest for understanding the physiology of these neurons and neural circuit modeling. Here, we imaged spontaneous and evoked activation of myenteric neurons in isolated whole preparations of mouse colon and correlated recordings with CGRP and nitric oxide synthase (NOS) immunoreactivity, post hoc. Calcium indicator fluo 4 was used for this purpose. Calcium responses were recorded in nerve cell bodies located 5-10 mm oral to transmural electrical nerve stimuli. A total of 618 recorded neurons were classified for CGRP or NOS immunoreactivity. Aboral electrical stimulation evoked short-latency calcium transients in the majority of myenteric neurons, including ~90% of CGRP-immunoreactive Dogiel type II neurons. Activation of Dogiel type II neurons had a time course consistent with fast synaptic transmission and was always abolished by hexamethonium (300 μM) and by low-calcium Krebs solution. The nicotinic receptor agonist 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium iodide (during synaptic blockade) directly activated Dogiel type II neurons. The present study suggests that murine colonic Dogiel type II neurons receive prominent fast excitatory synaptic inputs from hexamethonium-sensitive neural pathways. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Myenteric neurons in isolated mouse colon were recorded using calcium imaging and then neurochemically defined. Short-latency calcium transients were detected in >90% of calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactive neurons to electrical stimulation of hexamethonium-sensitive pathways. Putative sensory Dogiel type II calcitonin gene-related peptide-immunoreactive myenteric neurons may receive widespread fast synaptic inputs in mouse colon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Timothy J Hibberd
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University , Adelaide South Australia
| | - Lee Travis
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University , Adelaide South Australia
| | - Lukasz Wiklendt
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University , Adelaide South Australia
| | - Marcello Costa
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University , Adelaide South Australia
| | - Simon J H Brookes
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University , Adelaide South Australia
| | - Hongzhen Hu
- Department of Anesthesiology, Washington University , Saint Louis, Missouri
| | - Damien J Keating
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University , Adelaide South Australia
| | - Nick J Spencer
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University , Adelaide South Australia
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21
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Alcaino C, Farrugia G, Beyder A. Mechanosensitive Piezo Channels in the Gastrointestinal Tract. CURRENT TOPICS IN MEMBRANES 2017; 79:219-244. [PMID: 28728818 PMCID: PMC5606247 DOI: 10.1016/bs.ctm.2016.11.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Sensation of mechanical forces is critical for normal function of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and abnormalities in mechanosensation are linked to GI pathologies. In the GI tract there are several mechanosensitive cell types-epithelial enterochromaffin cells, intrinsic and extrinsic enteric neurons, smooth muscle cells and interstitial cells of Cajal. These cells use mechanosensitive ion channels that respond to mechanical forces by altering transmembrane ionic currents in a process called mechanoelectrical coupling. Several mechanosensitive ionic conductances have been identified in the mechanosensory GI cells, ranging from mechanosensitive voltage-gated sodium and calcium channels to the mechanogated ion channels, such as the two-pore domain potassium channels K2P (TREK-1) and nonselective cation channels from the transient receptor potential family. The recently discovered Piezo channels are increasingly recognized as significant contributors to cellular mechanosensitivity. Piezo1 and Piezo2 are nonselective cationic ion channels that are directly activated by mechanical forces and have well-defined biophysical and pharmacologic properties. The role of Piezo channels in the GI epithelium is currently under investigation and their role in the smooth muscle syncytium and enteric neurons is still not known. In this review, we outline the current state of knowledge on mechanosensitive ion channels in the GI tract, with a focus on the known and potential functions of the Piezo channels.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Alcaino
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - G Farrugia
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, United States
| | - A Beyder
- Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, United States
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22
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Palmer G, Hibberd TJ, Roose T, Brookes SJH, Taylor M. Measurement of strains experienced by viscerofugal nerve cell bodies during mechanosensitive firing using digital image correlation. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2016; 311:G869-G879. [PMID: 27514482 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00397.2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 08/02/2016] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Mechanosensory neurons detect physical events in the local environments of the tissues that they innervate. Studies of mechanosensitivity of neurons or nerve endings in the gut have related their firing to strain, wall tension, or pressure. Digital image correlation (DIC) is a technique from materials engineering that can be adapted to measure the local physical environments of afferent neurons at high resolution. Flat-sheet preparations of guinea pig distal colon were set up with arrays of tissue markers in vitro. Firing of single viscerofugal neurons was identified in extracellular colonic nerve recordings. The locations of viscerofugal nerve cell bodies were inferred by mapping firing responses to focal application of the nicotinic receptor agonist 1,1-dimethyl-4-phenylpiperazinium iodide. Mechanosensory firing was recorded during load-evoked uniaxial or biaxial distensions. Distension caused movement of surface markers which was captured by video imaging. DIC tracked the markers, interpolating the mechanical state of the gut at the location of the viscerofugal nerve cell body. This technique revealed heterogeneous load-evoked strain within preparations. Local strains at viscerofugal nerve cell bodies were usually smaller than global strain measurements and correlated more closely with mechanosensitive firing. Both circumferential and longitudinal strain activated viscerofugal neurons. Simultaneous loading in circumferential and longitudinal axes caused the highest levels of viscerofugal neuron firing. Multiaxial strains, reflecting tissue shearing and changing area, linearly correlated with mechanosensory firing of viscerofugal neurons. Viscerofugal neurons were mechanically sensitive to both local circumferential and local longitudinal gut strain, and appear to lack directionality in their stretch sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwen Palmer
- Bioengineering Research Group, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Timothy J Hibberd
- Department of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; and
| | - Tiina Roose
- Bioengineering Research Group, Faculty of Engineering and the Environment, University of Southampton, Southampton, United Kingdom
| | - Simon J H Brookes
- Department of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia; and
| | - Mark Taylor
- School of Computer Science, Engineering and Mathematics, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
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23
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Extrinsic Sensory Innervation of the Gut: Structure and Function. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2016; 891:63-9. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-27592-5_7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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24
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Mazzuoli-Weber G, Schemann M. Mechanosensitivity in the enteric nervous system. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:408. [PMID: 26528136 PMCID: PMC4602087 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2015] [Accepted: 09/25/2015] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
The enteric nervous system (ENS) autonomously controls gut muscle activity. Mechanosensitive enteric neurons (MEN) initiate reflex activity by responding to mechanical deformation of the gastrointestinal wall. MEN throughout the gut primarily respond to compression or stretch rather than to shear force. Some MEN are multimodal as they respond to compression and stretch. Depending on the region up to 60% of the entire ENS population responds to mechanical stress. MEN fire action potentials after mechanical stimulation of processes or soma although they are more sensitive to process deformation. There are at least two populations of MEN based on their sensitivity to different modalities of mechanical stress and on their firing pattern. (1) Rapidly, slowly and ultra-slowly adapting neurons which encode compressive forces. (2) Ultra-slowly adapting stretch-sensitive neurons encoding tensile forces. Rapid adaptation of firing is typically observed after compressive force while slow adaptation or ongoing spike discharge occurs often during tensile stress (stretch). All MEN have some common properties: they receive synaptic input, are low fidelity mechanoreceptors and are multifunctional in that some serve interneuronal others even motor functions. Consequently, MEN possess processes with mechanosensitive as well as efferent functions. This raises the intriguing hypothesis that MEN sense and control muscle activity at the same time as servo-feedback loop. The mechanosensitive channel(s) or receptor(s) expressed by the different MEN populations are unknown. Future concepts have to incorporate compressive and tensile-sensitive MEN into neural circuits that controls muscle activity. They may interact to control various forms of a particular motor pattern or regulate different motor patterns independently from each other.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Schemann
- Human Biology, Technische Universitaet Muenchen Freising, Germany
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25
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Kugler EM, Michel K, Zeller F, Demir IE, Ceyhan GO, Schemann M, Mazzuoli-Weber G. Mechanical stress activates neurites and somata of myenteric neurons. Front Cell Neurosci 2015; 9:342. [PMID: 26441520 PMCID: PMC4569744 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2015.00342] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Accepted: 08/18/2015] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
The particular location of myenteric neurons, sandwiched between the 2 muscle layers of the gut, implies that their somata and neurites undergo mechanical stress during gastrointestinal motility. Existence of mechanosensitive enteric neurons (MEN) is undoubted but many of their basic features remain to be studied. In this study, we used ultra-fast neuroimaging to record activity of primary cultured myenteric neurons of guinea pig and human intestine after von Frey hair evoked deformation of neurites and somata. Independent component analysis was applied to reconstruct neuronal morphology and follow neuronal signals. Of the cultured neurons 45% (114 out of 256, 30 guinea pigs) responded to neurite probing with a burst spike frequency of 13.4 Hz. Action potentials generated at the stimulation site invaded the soma and other neurites. Mechanosensitive sites were expressed across large areas of neurites. Many mechanosensitive neurites appeared to have afferent and efferent functions as those that responded to deformation also conducted spikes coming from the soma. Mechanosensitive neurites were also activated by nicotine application. This supported the concept of multifunctional MEN. 14% of the neurons (13 out of 96, 18 guinea pigs) responded to soma deformation with burst spike discharge of 17.9 Hz. Firing of MEN adapted rapidly (RAMEN), slowly (SAMEN), or ultra-slowly (USAMEN). The majority of MEN showed SAMEN behavior although significantly more RAMEN occurred after neurite probing. Cultured myenteric neurons from human intestine had similar properties. Compared to MEN, dorsal root ganglion neurons were activated by neurite but not by soma deformation with slow adaptation of firing. We demonstrated that MEN exhibit specific features very likely reflecting adaptation to their specialized functions in the gut.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva M Kugler
- Human Biology, Technische Universitaet Muenchen Freising, Germany
| | - Klaus Michel
- Human Biology, Technische Universitaet Muenchen Freising, Germany
| | - Florian Zeller
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum Freising Freising, Germany
| | - Ihsan E Demir
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen Munich, Germany
| | - Güralp O Ceyhan
- Department of Surgery, Klinikum Rechts der Isar, Technische Universitaet Muenchen Munich, Germany
| | - Michael Schemann
- Human Biology, Technische Universitaet Muenchen Freising, Germany
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26
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Humenick A, Chen BN, Wiklendt L, Spencer NJ, Zagorodnyuk VP, Dinning PG, Costa M, Brookes SJH. Activation of intestinal spinal afferent endings by changes in intra-mesenteric arterial pressure. J Physiol 2015; 593:3693-709. [PMID: 26010893 DOI: 10.1113/jp270378] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2015] [Accepted: 05/18/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
KEY POINTS A major class of mechano-nociceptors to the intestine have mechanotransduction sites on extramural and intramural arteries and arterioles ('vascular afferents'). These sensory neurons can be activated by compression or axial stretch of vessels. Using isolated preparations we showed that increasing intra-arterial pressure, within the physiological range, activated mechano-nociceptors on vessels in intact mesenteric arcades, but not in isolated arteries. This suggests that distortion of the branching vascular tree is the mechanical adequate stimulus for these sensory neurons, rather than simple distension. The same rises in pressure also activated intestinal peristalsis in a partially capsaicin-sensitive manner indicating that pressure-sensitive vascular afferents influence enteric circuits. The results identify the mechanical adequate stimulus for a major class of mechano-nociceptors with endings on blood vessels supplying the gut wall; these afferents have similar endings to ones supplying other viscera, striated muscle and dural vessels. ABSTRACT Spinal sensory neurons innervate many large blood vessels throughout the body. Their activation causes the hallmarks of neurogenic inflammation: vasodilatation through the release of the neuropeptide calcitonin gene-related peptide and plasma extravasation via tachykinins. The same vasodilator afferent neurons show mechanical sensitivity, responding to crushing, compression or axial stretch of blood vessels - responses which activate pain pathways and which can be modified by cell damage and inflammation. In the present study, we tested whether spinal afferent axons ending on branching mesenteric arteries ('vascular afferents') are sensitive to increased intravascular pressure. From a holding pressure of 5 mmHg, distension to 20, 40, 60 or 80 mmHg caused graded, slowly adapting increases in firing of vascular afferents. Many of the same afferent units showed responses to axial stretch, which summed with responses evoked by raised pressure. Many vascular afferents were also sensitive to raised temperature, capsaicin and/or local compression with von Frey hairs. However, responses to raised pressure in single, isolated vessels were negligible, suggesting that the adequate stimulus is distortion of the arterial arcade rather than distension per se. Increasing arterial pressure often triggered peristaltic contractions in the neighbouring segment of intestine, an effect that was mimicked by acute exposure to capsaicin (1 μm) and which was reduced after desensitisation to capsaicin. These results indicate that sensory fibres with perivascular endings are sensitive to pressure-induced distortion of branched arteries, in addition to compression and axial stretch, and that they contribute functional inputs to enteric motor circuits.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Humenick
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia
| | - B N Chen
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia
| | - L Wiklendt
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia
| | - N J Spencer
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia
| | - V P Zagorodnyuk
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia
| | - P G Dinning
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia
| | - M Costa
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia
| | - S J H Brookes
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia
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27
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Chen BN, Sharrad DF, Hibberd TJ, Zagorodnyuk VP, Costa M, Brookes SJ. Neurochemical characterization of extrinsic nerves in myenteric ganglia of the guinea pig distal colon. J Comp Neurol 2014; 523:742-56. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.23704] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2014] [Revised: 10/24/2014] [Accepted: 10/29/2014] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Bao Nan Chen
- Department of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience; Flinders Medical Science and Technology, School of Medicine, Flinders University; Bedford Park South Australia Australia
| | - Dale F. Sharrad
- Department of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience; Flinders Medical Science and Technology, School of Medicine, Flinders University; Bedford Park South Australia Australia
| | - Timothy J. Hibberd
- Department of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience; Flinders Medical Science and Technology, School of Medicine, Flinders University; Bedford Park South Australia Australia
| | - Vladimir P. Zagorodnyuk
- Department of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience; Flinders Medical Science and Technology, School of Medicine, Flinders University; Bedford Park South Australia Australia
| | - Marcello Costa
- Department of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience; Flinders Medical Science and Technology, School of Medicine, Flinders University; Bedford Park South Australia Australia
| | - Simon J.H. Brookes
- Department of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience; Flinders Medical Science and Technology, School of Medicine, Flinders University; Bedford Park South Australia Australia
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Spencer NJ, Kyloh M, Duffield M. Identification of different types of spinal afferent nerve endings that encode noxious and innocuous stimuli in the large intestine using a novel anterograde tracing technique. PLoS One 2014; 9:e112466. [PMID: 25383884 PMCID: PMC4226564 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0112466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/03/2014] [Accepted: 10/10/2014] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
In mammals, sensory stimuli in visceral organs, including those that underlie pain perception, are detected by spinal afferent neurons, whose cell bodies lie in dorsal root ganglia (DRG). One of the major challenges in visceral organs has been how to identify the different types of nerve endings of spinal afferents that transduce sensory stimuli into action potentials. The reason why spinal afferent nerve endings have been so challenging to identify is because no techniques have been available, until now, that can selectively label only spinal afferents, in high resolution. We have utilized an anterograde tracing technique, recently developed in our laboratory, which facilitates selective labeling of only spinal afferent axons and their nerve endings in visceral organs. Mice were anesthetized, lumbosacral DRGs surgically exposed, then injected with dextran-amine. Seven days post-surgery, the large intestine was removed. The characteristics of thirteen types of spinal afferent nerve endings were identified in detail. The greatest proportion of nerve endings was in submucosa (32%), circular muscle (25%) and myenteric ganglia (22%). Two morphologically distinct classes innervated myenteric ganglia. These were most commonly a novel class of intraganglionic varicose endings (IGVEs) and occasionally rectal intraganglionic laminar endings (rIGLEs). Three distinct classes of varicose nerve endings were found to innervate the submucosa and circular muscle, while one class innervated internodal strands, blood vessels, crypts of lieberkuhn, the mucosa and the longitudinal muscle. Distinct populations of sensory endings were CGRP-positive. We present the first complete characterization of the different types of spinal afferent nerve endings in a mammalian visceral organ. The findings reveal an unexpectedly complex array of different types of primary afferent endings that innervate specific layers of the large intestine. Some of the novel classes of nerve endings identified must underlie the transduction of noxious and/or innocuous stimuli from the large intestine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick J. Spencer
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Melinda Kyloh
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Michael Duffield
- Discipline of Human Physiology and Centre for Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Flinders University of South Australia, Adelaide, Australia
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Brumovsky PR, La JH, Gebhart GF. Distribution across tissue layers of extrinsic nerves innervating the mouse colorectum - an in vitro anterograde tracing study. Neurogastroenterol Motil 2014; 26:1494-507. [PMID: 25185752 PMCID: PMC4200533 DOI: 10.1111/nmo.12419] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2014] [Accepted: 07/27/2014] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Anterograde in vitro tracing of the pelvic nerve (PN) and visualization in the horizontal plane in whole mount preparations has been fundamental in the analysis of distribution of peripheral nerves innervating the colorectum. Here, we performed a similar analysis, but in cryostat sections of the mouse colorectum, allowing for a more direct visualization of nerve distribution in all tissue layers. METHODS Colorectum with attached PNs was dissected from adult male BalbC mice. Presence of active afferents was certified by single fiber recording of fine PN fibers. This was followed by 'bulk' (all fibers) anterograde tracing using biotinamide (BTA). Histo- and immunohistochemical techniques were used for visualization of BTA-positive nerves, and evaluation of co-localization with calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), respectively. Tissue was analyzed using confocal microscopy on transverse or longitudinal colorectum sections. KEY RESULTS Abundant BTA-positive nerves spanning all layers of the mouse colorectum and contacting myenteric plexus neurons, distributing within the muscle layer, penetrating deeper into the organ and contacting blood vessels, submucosal plexus neurons or even penetrating the mucosa, were regularly detected. Several traced axons co-localized CGRP, supporting their afferent nature. Finally, anterograde tracing of the PN also exposed abundant BTA-positive nerves in the major pelvic ganglion. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES We present the patterns of innervation of extrinsic axons across layers in the mouse colorectum, including the labile mucosal layer. The proposed approach could also be useful in the analysis of associations between morphology and physiology of peripheral nerves targeting the different layers of the colorectum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pablo R. Brumovsky
- School of Biomedical Sciences, Austral University, Pilar 1629, Buenos Aires, Argentina,CONICET (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas), Buenos Aires, Argentina,Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - Jun-Ho La
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
| | - G. F. Gebhart
- Pittsburgh Center for Pain Research, Department of Anesthesiology, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
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Hibberd T, Spencer N, Zagorodnyuk V, Chen B, Brookes S. Targeted electrophysiological analysis of viscerofugal neurons in the myenteric plexus of guinea-pig colon. Neuroscience 2014; 275:272-84. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2014.04.066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2014] [Revised: 04/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/30/2014] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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VGLUTs in Peripheral Neurons and the Spinal Cord: Time for a Review. ISRN NEUROLOGY 2013; 2013:829753. [PMID: 24349795 PMCID: PMC3856137 DOI: 10.1155/2013/829753] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2013] [Accepted: 08/25/2013] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Vesicular glutamate transporters (VGLUTs) are key molecules for the incorporation of glutamate in synaptic vesicles across the nervous system, and since their discovery in the early 1990s, research on these transporters has been intense and productive. This review will focus on several aspects of VGLUTs research on neurons in the periphery and the spinal cord. Firstly, it will begin with a historical account on the evolution of the morphological analysis of glutamatergic systems and the pivotal role played by the discovery of VGLUTs. Secondly, and in order to provide an appropriate framework, there will be a synthetic description of the neuroanatomy and neurochemistry of peripheral neurons and the spinal cord. This will be followed by a succinct description of the current knowledge on the expression of VGLUTs in peripheral sensory and autonomic neurons and neurons in the spinal cord. Finally, this review will address the modulation of VGLUTs expression after nerve and tissue insult, their physiological relevance in relation to sensation, pain, and neuroprotection, and their potential pharmacological usefulness.
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Abstract
Visceral sensory neurons activate reflex pathways that control gut function and also give rise to important sensations, such as fullness, bloating, nausea, discomfort, urgency and pain. Sensory neurons are organised into three distinct anatomical pathways to the central nervous system (vagal, thoracolumbar and lumbosacral). Although remarkable progress has been made in characterizing the roles of many ion channels, receptors and second messengers in visceral sensory neurons, the basic aim of understanding how many classes there are, and how they differ, has proven difficult to achieve. We suggest that just five structurally distinct types of sensory endings are present in the gut wall that account for essentially all of the primary afferent neurons in the three pathways. Each of these five major structural types of endings seems to show distinctive combinations of physiological responses. These types are: 'intraganglionic laminar' endings in myenteric ganglia; 'mucosal' endings located in the subepithelial layer; 'muscular-mucosal' afferents, with mechanosensitive endings close to the muscularis mucosae; 'intramuscular' endings, with endings within the smooth muscle layers; and 'vascular' afferents, with sensitive endings primarily on blood vessels. 'Silent' afferents might be a subset of inexcitable 'vascular' afferents, which can be switched on by inflammatory mediators. Extrinsic sensory neurons comprise an attractive focus for targeted therapeutic intervention in a range of gastrointestinal disorders.
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