title: Abdominal surgery induces c-fos expression in the nucleus of the solitary tract in the rat.
abstract: In a model of abdominal surgery, which consisted of cecal manipulation and induces postoperative ileus in rats, we studied c-fos protein expression in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia. Abdominal surgery resulted in a significantly higher number of c-fos protein immunoreactive cells in the NTS compared with controls but not in dorsal root ganglia and resulted in only a few scattered cells in the spinal cord. Neurons expressing c-fos protein were concentrated in NTS regions where cecal afferents terminate. These findings support the hypothesis that sensory vagal pathways partly mediate abdominal surgery-induced postoperative ileus.
authors.affiliation: Center for Ulcer Research and Education, Department of Veterans Affairs, West Los Angeles Medical Center, CA.
authors.forename: T T
authors.initials: TT
authors.lastname: Zittel
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: De Giorgio
authors.forename: N C
authors.initials: NC
authors.lastname: Brecha
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sternini
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Raybould
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000601:surgery*; D000818:Animals; D005727:Ganglia, Spinal / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000378:metabolism; D009475:Neurons, Afferent / Q000378:metabolism; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000276:immunology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D017552:Solitary Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D013116:Spinal Cord / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos