title: The Relationship between Intestinal Motility and Interstitial Cells of Cajal in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Mice.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common cause of chronic liver disease in western world. However, NAFLD shows an increasing trend in China every year, which has attracted the attention of national health authorities. The previous studies have shown that NAFLD caused severe gastrointestinal motor disorders, but little is known about the interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) role in gastrointestinal motor disorders.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to observe the ICC in jejunum of nonalcoholic fatty liver mice by immunohistochemistry and assessed the relationship between intestinal motility and ICC.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty five Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were randomly divided into nonalcoholic fatty liver (n = 25) and control groups (n = 10), rats were housed individually in cages and had free access to food and water, nonalcoholic fatty liver group was duplicated by high-fat diet (consisted of ordinary food, 20 g/kg cholesterol and 100 g/kg fat) feeding. Dextran blue-2000 was used to monitor the intestinal motility. The proximal small intestine was harvested to investigate the C-kit positive ICC. The hepatic tissue slices were used for pathological observation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease was successfully established. The intestinal motility in nonalcoholic fatty liver group (49.5 ± 10.9) was weaker compared to the control group (57.3 ± 8.9), P < 0.05. The rate of ICC also have shown statistically significant differences between nonalcoholic fatty liver (4.87 ± 2.97/mm (2)) and control groups (6.54 ± 3.13/mm (2)), P < 0.05.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  ICC may be related to the intestinal motility in nonalcoholic fatty liver mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Ming-Liang
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Lu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Hua
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Li-Ming
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chang
keywords: Interstitial Cells of Cajal; Intestinal Motility; Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver