title: Radiological analysis of gastrointestinal dysmotility in a model of central nervous dopaminergic degeneration: comparative study with conventional in vivo techniques in the rat.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Gastrointestinal (GI) motility disorders include many clinical manifestations associated with various pathologies. They are widespread and can be considered a primary symptom or can be associated to other diseases, such as Parkinson's disease. Understanding the type and site of GI dysmotility is crucial to identify the functional abnormality and to unravel the underlying mechanisms, in order to design adequate therapeutic interventions.
  
  
  METHODS
  In the present study, we applied radiological analysis, a common tool in clinical practice, to follow up in vivo the progression of GI dysmotility over time and along the entire GI tract in an animal model of central nervous dopaminergic degeneration and compared these results to those obtained with standard techniques commonly used to assess GI motor functions in small rodents.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our radiological data, showing delayed gastric emptying and constipation, agree with and expand previous information obtained with other functional assays in the same model, suggesting that radiological analysis can be an appropriate method to explore GI dysmotility in animal models of human pathologies.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In this study we have applied for the first time the GI radiological analysis to an animal model of central nervous dopaminergic degeneration providing a non-invasive/animal-preserving approach, ethically more acceptable and useful to follow up the development of GI dysmotility in pathologies evolving over time.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Gaia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Vegezzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Zainab
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Al Harraq
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, "C. Mondino" National Neurological Institute, Via Mondino, 2, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Levandis
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, "C. Mondino" National Neurological Institute, Via Mondino, 2, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cerri
authors.affiliation: Center for Research in Neurodegenerative Diseases, "C. Mondino" National Neurological Institute, Via Mondino, 2, 27100 Pavia, Italy.
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Blandini
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Parma, Via del Taglio, 10, 43126 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gnudi
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Medical Sciences, University of Parma, Via del Taglio, 10, 43126 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Miduri
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Roma, 55, 56126 Pisa, Italy.
authors.forename: Corrado
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Blandizzi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Domenichini
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bertoni
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Vigilio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Ballabeni
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, University of Parma, Parco Area delle Scienze, 27/A, 43124 Parma, Italy. Electronic address: elisabetta.barocelli@unipr.it.
authors.forename: Elisabetta
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Barocelli
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D059290:Dopaminergic Neurons / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000139:chemically induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D016627:Oxidopamine; D011859:Radiography; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D016627:Oxidopamine
keywords: Gastrointestinal dysmotility; Methods; Parkinson's disease model; Radiological analysis; rat