The chemical code of porcine enteric neurons and the number of enteric glial cells are altered by dietary probiotics.
BACKGROUND
The enteric nervous system (ENS) contains chemically coded populations of neurons that serve specific functions for the control of the gastrointestinal tract. The ability of neurons to modify their chemical code in response to luminal changes has recently been discovered. It is possible that enteric neuronal plasticity may sustain the adaptability of the gut to changes in intestinal activity or injury, and that gut neurons may respond to an altered intestinal environment by changing their neuropeptide expression.


METHODS
We used immunohistochemical methods to investigate the presence and localization of several neuronal populations and enteric glia in both the small (ileum) and large (cecum) intestine of piglets. We assessed their abundance in submucosal and myenteric plexus from animals treated with the probiotic Pediococcus acidilactici compared with untreated controls.


RESULTS
The treated piglets had a larger number of galanin- and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-immunoreactive neurons than controls, but this was limited to the submucosal plexus ganglia of the ileum. Moreover, immunohistochemistry revealed that glial fibrillary acidic protein-positive enteric glial cells were significantly higher in the inner and outer submucosal plexuses of treated animals.


CONCLUSIONS
The neuronal and glial changes described here illustrate plasticity of the ENS in response to an altered luminal environment in the gastrointestinal tract.
Department of Veterinary Sciences and Technology for Food Safety, Università degli Studi di Milano, Milan, Italy.
A
A
di Giancamillo
F
F
Vitari
G
G
Bosi
G
G
Savoini
C
C
Domeneghini
D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D002432:Cecum / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D002452:Cell Count; D004032:Diet; D017615:Enteric Nervous System / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D019004:Galanin / Q000378:metabolism; D007082:Ileum / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D009457:Neuroglia / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism*; D009478:Neuropeptide Y / Q000378:metabolism; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I / Q000378:metabolism; D010376:Pediococcus / Q000378:metabolism; D019936:Probiotics / Q000378:metabolism*; D013373:Substance P / Q000378:metabolism; D013552:Swine; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000378:metabolism
D009478:Neuropeptide Y; D013373:Substance P; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; D019004:Galanin; D052248:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type I; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide