QUALITY OF ULCER HEALING - EVIDENCE FOR IMPAIRED RESTORATION OF SENSORY NERVES CONTAINING CALCITONIN-GENE-RELATED PEPTIDE IN THE SCAR OF ANEXPERIMENTAL GASTRIC-ULCER
A. Tarnawski et al., QUALITY OF ULCER HEALING - EVIDENCE FOR IMPAIRED RESTORATION OF SENSORY NERVES CONTAINING CALCITONIN-GENE-RELATED PEPTIDE IN THE SCAR OF ANEXPERIMENTAL GASTRIC-ULCER, European journal of gastroenterology & hepatology, 5, 1993, pp. 190000081-190000085
Background: Recent experimental and clinical data indicate that the su
bepithelial gastric mucosa of a grossly healed ulcer remains histologi
cally and ultrastructurally abnormal. The aims of this work were to (1
) discuss new concepts on the quality of ulcer healing and (2) determi
ne whether sensory nerves containing calcitonin gene-related peptide (
CGRP) are restored within the submucosal and mucosal scars of grossly
healed experimental gastric ulcers in rats. Methods: In Sprague-Dawley
male rats, gastric ulcers were produced by a topical serosal applicat
ion of acetic acid. One to 2 months later specimens of gastric wall fr
om grossly healed ulcers were obtained and immunostained for CGRP-cont
aining sensory nerves. Results: In normal gastric mucosa, CGRP immunor
eactivity was observed in nerve fibers of (1) the muscularis propria,
(2) the submucosa in proximity to large vessels, (3) the basal mucosa
and (4) the lamina propria adjacent to the microvessels. In gastric mu
cosal and submucosal areas of grossly healed ulcers CGRP-containing se
nsory nerve fibers were virtually absent. Conclusions: In addition to
other histologic and ultrastructural abnormalities identified previous
ly, in this study we demonstrated that scars of grossly healed experim
ental gastric ulcers lack CGRP-containing sensory nerves.