Abstract
Previous work from our laboratory showed that spontaneous contractile activity of jejunal smooth muscle increases after small bowel transplantation. Our aim was to determine whether small bowel transplantation alters the function of nonadrenergic, noncholinergic (NANC) nerves. Seven groups of rats, (n ≥7 in each group) were studied as follows: 1 week after sham celiotomy and 1 week and 8 weeks after 45 minutes of ischemia/ reperfusion (IR1 and IR8), jejunal and ileal transection and reanastomosis (TR1 and TR8), or orthotopic small bowel transplantation (TX1 and TX8). Contractility of jejunal circular muscle strips was studied in vitro. Spontaneous contractile activity increased in the IR1, TR1, and TX1 and TX1 and TX8 groups (P<0.01). Under NANC conditions, spontaneous activity increased in TR1 and in both TX1 and TX8 (P<0.01) despite the lack of an increase in the frequency of contraction in TX1. Electrical field stimulation inhibited contractile activity at low frequencies, but under NANC conditions this inhibition persisted at higher frequencies. The calculated equieffective frequency (F100) that produced a response equal to baseline contractile activity was similar in all groups, but under NANC conditions was greater in TX1 (P<0.025). Functional alterations of NANC nerves are partly responsible for the increase in spontaneous activity in rat jejunal circular muscle strips after a limited ischemia/reperfusion injury, after selective disruption of enteric neural continuity (transection/reanastomosis), and after small bowel transplantation. These findings may provide important insight into graft dysfunction after small bowel transplantation in humans.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Sarr MG, Hakim NS. Enteric Physiology of the Transplanted Intestine. Austin, Tex.: RG Landes, 1994.
Kiyochi H, Ono A, Shimahara Y, Kobayashi N. Extrinsic reinnervation after intestinal transplantation in rats. Transplant Proc 1994;26:951–952.
Sarr MG, Kelly KA. Myoelectric activity of the autotransplanted canine jejunoileum. Gastroenterology 1981;81:303–310.
Siadati MR, Murr MM, Foley MK, Steers JL, Sarr MG. Canine multi-visceral autotransplantation of the entire upper gut: Effects on fasting and fed motility patterns [abstr]. Gastroenterology 1995;108:A690.
Cooke HJ. Role of the “little brain” in the gut in water and electrolyte absorption. FASEB J 1989;3:127–138.
Stark ME, Bauer AJ, Sarr MG, Szurszewski JH. Nitric oxide mediates inhibitory nerve input in human and canine jejunum. Gastroenterology 1993;104:398–409.
Wood JD. Excitation of intestinal muscle by atropine, tetrodotoxin, and xylocaine. Am J Physiol 1972;222:118–125.
Murr MM, Miller VM, Sarr MG. Contractile properties of enteric smooth muscle after small bowel transplantation in rats. Am J Surg 1996;17:212–218.
Murr MM, Miller VM, Sarr MG. Functional changes in enteric smooth muscle contractile activity after small bowel transplantation. Surg Forum 1995;46:196–198.
Monchik GJ, Russell PS. Transplantation of small bowel in the rat: Technical and immunological considerations. Surgery 1971;70:693–702.
Todo S, Tzakis A, Reyes J, Abu-Elmagd K, Furukawa H, Nour B, Casavilla A, Nakamura K, Fung J, Demetris J, Starzl T. Small intestinal transplantation in humans with or without the colon. Transplantation 1994;57:840–846.
Goyal RK, Hirano I. The enteric nervous system. N Engl J Med 1996;334:1106–1115.
Sarr MG, Duenes JA, Walters AM. Jejunal and ileal absorptive function after a model of canine jujenoileal autotransplantation. J Surg Res 1991;51:233–239.
McCord JM. Oxygen derived free radicals in past ischemic tisue injury. N Engl J Med 1985;312:159–163.
Galligan JJ, Furness JB, Costa M. Migration of the myoelectric complex after interruption of the myenteric plexus: Intestinal transection and regeneration of enteric nerves in the guinea pig. Gastroenterology 1989;97:1135–1146.
Stadelman AM, Fink FG, Muslin E, Walgenbach-Telford S, Telford GM, Koch TR. Non-adrenergic, non-cholinergic (NANC) inhibitory nerves are altered in rat small intestine following transplantation [abstr]. Gastroenterology 1994;106: A843.
Stadelman AM, Telford GL, Appel DA, Walgenbach-Telford S, Hopp K, Meier DA, Koch TR. Expression of mRNA for vasoactive intestinal peptide in rat small intestine. Mol Cell Endocrinol 1996;116:31–37.
Kusunoki M, Ishii H, Nakao K, Fujiwara Y, Yamamura T, Utsunomiya J. Long-term effects of small bowel transplantation on intestinal motility. Transplantation 1995;60:897–899.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Additional information
Supported by United States Public Health Service grant DK 39337 from the National Institutes of Health and by the Mayo Foundation.
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Murr, M.M., Sarr, M.G. Small bowel transplantation: Effects on function of nonadrenergic, noncholinergic nerves. J Gastrointest Surg 1, 439–445 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1091-255X(97)80131-X
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1091-255X(97)80131-X