[Changes in the number of neuroprotective transmitter containing mucosal nerve fibres in children with ulcerative colitis].
BACKGROUND
Ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease are two main disease entities that belong to the group of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). Chronic inflammatory process concerning intestinal mucosal membrane causes structural and functional changes of intestinal nervous system. This phenomenon is called the plasticity of the nervous system and is due to the ability of nerve cells to adapt to changing environmental conditions. The resulting alterations of intestinal neurons' chemical code are augmentation, inhibition or initiation of the neurotransmitters' synthesis (synthesis "de novo"). The role of neuroprotective transmitters - galanine (GAL), vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and pituitary adenosine cyclase activating peptide (PACAP) seems to be important in the pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases. They are responsible for the regulation of intestinal contraction and modification of ions' transport in the intestinal epithelium. They also diminuate the inflammation by modulation of the proinflammatory chemokines and cytokines production.


OBJECTIVE
of the study was to analyse the changes in the nerve fibres' containing GAL, VIP and/or PACAP, density in the mucosal membrane of children with ulcerative colitis (UC) with different Clinical activity index.


METHODS
the study included 33 children hospitalised due to UC with different activity and 9 children in the control group, after exclusion of IBD. All the studied patients underwent colonoscopic examination with colon mucosa biopsies. Histology and immunochemistry of mucosal samples were analysed. Those studies helped to assess the changes in the number of nerve fibres containing analysed transmitter substances in the mucosal membrane of the colon.


RESULTS
the results showed a statistically significant diminuation of nerve fibres containing analysed neurotransmitters number in colon mucosa samples of children with UC. There were no statistically significant changes in number of nerve fibres dependent on the clinical activity index of UC.


CONCLUSIONS
the process of degradation present in UC is accompanied by the important diminuation on neurotransmitter containing fibres number. However, their density is not dependent of the clinical activity of the disease.
Kamińska
Barbara
B
Klinika Pediatrii, Gastroenterologii i Onkologii Dzieciecej, Akademia Medyczna, ul. Nowe Ogrody 1-6, 80-803 Gdansk, Poland. bkam@amg.gda.pl
Landowski
Piotr
P
Gonkowski
Sławomir
S
Majewski
Mariusz
M
Renke
Joanna
J
Korzon
Maria
M
D000293:Adolescent; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003093:Colitis, Ulcerative / Q000473:pathology*; D003106:Colon / Q000473:pathology; D003113:Colonoscopy; D003424:Crohn Disease / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D019004:Galanin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007413:Intestinal Mucosa / Q000294:innervation* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009411:Nerve Endings / Q000473:pathology*; D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents / Q000032:analysis; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide / Q000032:analysis; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000032:analysis
D018377:Neurotransmitter Agents; D051219:Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D019004:Galanin