title: Reversible small bowel obstruction in the chicken foetus.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ligation of the embryonic gut is an established technique to induce intestinal obstruction and subsequently intestinal atresia in chicken embryos. In this study, we modified this established chicken model of prenatal intestinal obstruction to describe (1) the kinetics of morphological changes, (2) to test if removal of the ligature in ovo is possible in later embryonic development and (3) to describe morphological adaptations following removal of the ligature.
  
  
  METHODS
  On embryonic day (ED) 11, small intestines of chick embryos were ligated micro surgically in ovo. In Group 1 (n = 80) gut was harvested proximal and distal to the ligation on ED 12-19. In Group 2 (n = 20) the induced obstruction was released on day 15 and gut was harvested on ED 16-19. Acetyl choline esterase staining was used as to assess resulting morphological changes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A marked intestinal dilatation of the proximal segment can be seen 4 days after the operation (ED 15). The dilatation increased in severity until ED 19 and intestinal atresia could be observed after ED 16. In the dilated proximal segments, signs of disturbed enteric nervous system morphology were obvious. In contrast to this, release of the obstruction on ED 15 in Group 2 resulted in almost normal gut morphology at ED 19.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our model not only allows the description of morphological changes caused by an induced obstruction on ED 11 but also-more important - of morphological signs of adaptation following the release of the obstruction on ED 15.
authors: Department of Paediatric Surgery, Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, Johannesburg, South Africa.
authors: Christina Oetzmann
authors: CO
authors: von Sochaczewski
authors: Katharina
authors: K
authors: Wenke
authors: Roman Patrick
authors: RP
authors: Metzger
authors: Jerome Alexander
authors: JA
authors: Loveland
authors: Chris
authors: C
authors: Westgarth-Taylor
authors: Dietrich
authors: D
authors: Kluth
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002642:Chick Embryo; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005769:Gastrointestinal Motility / Q000502:physiology; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000196:embryology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D007421:Intestine, Small / Q000196:embryology* / Q000503:physiopathology