title: Fatal acute intestinal pseudoobstruction in mice.
abstract: Here we describe the epizootiology and pathology of spontaneous, fatal acute intestinal pseudoobstruction that occurred in a mouse colony of 1000 breeding pairs, mainly of the C57Bl/6 strain and free from known pathogenic agents. Most of the mice affected were dams in the second week of lactation. At necropsy, segments of the small intestines were distended with fluid contents. Widespread apoptosis of the villus epithelium of the small intestine and superficial epithelial cells of the large intestine, associated with strong expression of active caspase 3, was a distinctive feature. Necrotic enterocytes, mucosal erosions, and acute mucosal inflammation were prominent in some mice, and morphologic signs of toxemia were generally present. No light microscopic neuronal changes were apparent in the gut, and no etiologic agents were identified. These results indicate that sudden activation of apoptosis in the trophically stimulated gut epithelium during peak lactation was instrumental for the fatal outcome of the condition, but the primary cause of the motility dysfunction of the bowel was not established.
authors.affiliation: National Veterinary Institute, Uppsala, Sweden. ricardo.feinstein@sva.se
authors.forename: Ricardo E
authors.initials: RE
authors.lastname: Feinstein
authors.forename: Winston E
authors.initials: WE
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: Anne Halldén
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Waldemarson
authors.forename: Patricia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hedenqvist
authors.forename: Ronny
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lindberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D020895:Enterocytes / Q000378:metabolism / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005260:Female; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D007418:Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D007774:Lactation; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009336:Necrosis; D013548:Sweden / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D053148:Caspase 3