Peptide-containing neurons remain unaffected after intestinal autotransplantation: an experimental study in the piglet

Abstract

The gut is richly supplied with peptide-containing nervous elements. In the present immunocytochemical study the origin, occurrence and topographical distribution of nerves containing vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), enkephalin, substance P (SP), somatostatin, neuropeptide Y (NPY), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) and galanin were investigated in the porcine small intestine. In order to study the origin (extrinsic or intrinsic) of the nerve fibers, specimens from autotransplanted and extrinsically denervated jejunum were examined. Furthermore, possible changes in the distribution of intrinsic neurons after extrinsic denervation were studied. In the control jejunum each nerve fiber population had its own characteristic topographic distribution. There was no overt difference in distribution pattern of peptide-containing nerve fibers and cell bodies between the transplanted and the control segment except that NPY-, SP- and CGRP-containing nerve fibers disappeared around blood vessels. Thus VIP-, somatostatin-, GRP-, enkephalin- and galanin-containing nerve fibers were visibly unchanged in the transplanted segment. The results support the view that the peptide-containing nerve fibers are mainly intrinsic in origin except the NPY-, SP- or CGRP-containing perivascular nerve fibers which are extrinsic to the gut wall. In addition, the results of the present study suggest that transplantation and extrinsic denervation have no major effect on the distribution pattern of the intrinsic neuronal systems.