GFAP (GLIAL FIBRILLARY ACIDIC PROTEIN) IM MUNOREACTIVITY IN THE NEOMUCOSA OF THE ILEUM ON A SEROSA PATCH OF A CANINE COLON

A Short bowel was induced in 8 beagle bitches by resecting 85 % of the small intestine. Following resection, a tangential fixation was perfo rmed in antiperistaltic direction between the ileum and the proximal c olon. A 15 cm segment of the remaining ileum was incised opposite to i ts mesenterial attachment and sewn onto the serosa of the neighboring segment of colon (Serosa patching). After 20 weeks of observation, seg ments of the ileum, the colon and the anastomosed intestinal segment w ere removed. The neomucosa covering the patch surface was investigated using immunohistochemical methods in order to demonstrate the presenc e of nerve fibers. The immunofluorescence reaction using anti-GFAP (gl ial fibrillary acidic protein) clearly demonstrated immunoreactivity i n the formed neomucosa and in the underlying granulation tissue. The i mmunoreactive fibers were comparable with fibers demonstrated in the o riginal mucosa. This finding is an indication that the neomucosa of a serosa patch may be functionally intact because the presence of nerves suggests that mucosal functions, e. g. resorption and secretion, are under nervous regulation.