Transplantation of enteric nervous system stem cells rescues nitric oxide synthase deficient mouse colon

Nat Commun. 2017 Jul 3:8:15937. doi: 10.1038/ncomms15937.

Abstract

Enteric nervous system neuropathy causes a wide range of severe gut motility disorders. Cell replacement of lost neurons using enteric neural stem cells (ENSC) is a possible therapy for these life-limiting disorders. Here we show rescue of gut motility after ENSC transplantation in a mouse model of human enteric neuropathy, the neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS-/-) deficient mouse model, which displays slow transit in the colon. We further show that transplantation of ENSC into the colon rescues impaired colonic motility with formation of extensive networks of transplanted cells, including the development of nNOS+ neurons and subsequent restoration of nitrergic responses. Moreover, post-transplantation non-cell-autonomous mechanisms restore the numbers of interstitial cells of Cajal that are reduced in the nNOS-/- colon. These results provide the first direct evidence that ENSC transplantation can modulate the enteric neuromuscular syncytium to restore function, at the organ level, in a dysmotile gastrointestinal disease model.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Colon / enzymology*
  • Colon / physiopathology
  • Enteric Nervous System / cytology*
  • Enteric Nervous System / enzymology
  • Female
  • Gastrointestinal Motility
  • Humans
  • Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction / enzymology
  • Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction / genetics
  • Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction / physiopathology
  • Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction / surgery*
  • Male
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Neural Stem Cells / transplantation*
  • Neurons / transplantation
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / deficiency*
  • Nitric Oxide Synthase / genetics

Substances

  • Nitric Oxide Synthase