Volume 119, Issue 2, Pages 368-376 (August 2000) Protective role of neurotrophins in experimental inflammation of the rat gut  Max Reinshagen, Heike Rohm, Martin Steinkamp, Klaus Lieb, Irmlind Geerling, Axel von Herbay, Günther Flämig, Viktor E. Eysselein, Guido Adler  Gastroenterology  Volume 119, Issue 2, Pages 368-376 (August 2000) DOI: 10.1053/gast.2000.9307 Copyright © 2000 American Gastroenterological Association Terms and Conditions

Fig. 1 Effect of NGF and NT-3 immunoneutralization on (A) macroscopic damage score, (B) microscopic mucosal ulceration, and (C) MPO activity in experimentally induced TNBS colitis at 1 week. *P < 0.05, significantly different from control antibody–treated group. Values are means ± SE; n = 6 rats/group. Gastroenterology 2000 119, 368-376DOI: (10.1053/gast.2000.9307) Copyright © 2000 American Gastroenterological Association Terms and Conditions

Fig. 2 Histology of the colon 1 week after induction of TNBS colitis (H&E; B–D). (A) Normal rat colon: intact mucosa without inflammation. (B) Colon of anti-NGF–treated rat shows severe inflammation, characterized by mucosal necrosis (intact mucosa at upper left) and transmural inflammation, which also involves the adjacent pericolic fat tissue, resulting in adhesions with the pancreas (lower left). (C) Colon of control rat: colon with mucosal erosion (intact mucosa at upper right) and with submucosal inflammation; the muscle layer including the myenteric plexus and the serosa are intact. (D) Colon of rat treated with anti–NT-3 shows severe inflammation, characterized by mucosal necrosis and transmural inflammation. Gastroenterology 2000 119, 368-376DOI: (10.1053/gast.2000.9307) Copyright © 2000 American Gastroenterological Association Terms and Conditions

Fig. 3 Effects of NGF immunoneutralization and inflammation on immunoreactive (A) CGRP and (B) SP content in colonic homogenates. Values are means ± SE; n = 6 rats/group; CGRP immunoreactivity and SP immunoreactivity are expressed in nmol/mg tissue protein. *P < 0.05, **P < 0.001; significantly different from control. Gastroenterology 2000 119, 368-376DOI: (10.1053/gast.2000.9307) Copyright © 2000 American Gastroenterological Association Terms and Conditions

Fig. 4 Effect of NGF immunoneutralization on (A) NGF mRNA expression and (B) Trk A mRNA expression in the DRG (DRG L3-S1) in colons of rats with experimentally induced TNBS colitis at 1 week. Effect of NT-3 immunoneutralization on (C) NT-3 mRNA and (D) Trk C mRNA expression in the colon of rats with TNBS colitis at 1 week. Gastroenterology 2000 119, 368-376DOI: (10.1053/gast.2000.9307) Copyright © 2000 American Gastroenterological Association Terms and Conditions

Fig. 5 (A) RT-PCR of colonic CGRP (258 bp) and β-actin (702 bp) in normal rat colon (lane 1); TNBS colitis after 1 week of control IgG antibody treatment (lanes 2–4), TNBS colitis after 1 week of NT-3 antibody treatment (lanes 5–7), and TNBS colitis after 1 week of NGF antibody treatment (lanes 8–10). (B) RT-PCR of colonic β-PPT (120 bp) and β-actin (702 bp) in normal rat colon (lane 1), TNBS colitis after 1 week of control IgG antibody treatment (lanes 2–4), TNBS colitis after 1 week of NT-3 antibody treatment (lanes 5–7), and TNBS colitis after 1 week of NGF antibody treatment (lanes 8–10). Gastroenterology 2000 119, 368-376DOI: (10.1053/gast.2000.9307) Copyright © 2000 American Gastroenterological Association Terms and Conditions