Research Information System
Thesis Type: Doctorate
Institution Of The Thesis: Gazi University, Sağlık Bilimleri Enstitüsü, ANATOMİ ANABİLİM DALI, Turkey
Approval Date: 2020
Thesis Language: Turkish
Student: ECE ALİM
Supervisor: İsmail Nadir Gülekon
Abstract:
The enteric nervous system is a system formed by the combination of neurons that form
the "brain of the intestines" in the gastrointestinal tract and function independently of the
central nervous system. In the enteric nervous system, nerve cells (enteric neurons) and
supporting cells (glial cells) are grouped into small clusters in enteric ganglia that are
connected by bundles of nerve fibers. Enteric ganglia are collected in the two main
plexuses, myenteric (Auerbach) and submucosal (Meissner) plexus. Neurexin is a
presynaptic neuronal cell adhesion protein, and they bind with neuroligin, the postsynaptic
protein. Neurexin isoforms that are linked to neuroligins may form trans synaptic
complexes in excitatory and inhibitory synapses that play a role in, for example, synapse
specification, formation, maturation, and plasticity. 'Stress' is defined as a condition that
threatens body self-balance. The enteric nervous system provides regulatory control over a
large number of gastrointestinal functions, including motility, visceral sensation, secretion,
absorption, immune and epithelial barrier function. Therefore, changes in ESS function can
lead to deep clinical symptoms, representing a central pathophysiological process in stressrelated
gastrointestinal disorders. In our study, we aimed to investigate the effects of
perinatal stress on neuroligin-1 and neurexin IIα in the enteric nervous system (ESS) of
rats on different embryonic days. With a general evaluation, it was observed that prenatal
stress increased duodenum, jejunum, ileum, colon wall thickness, epithelial height, crypt
depth, and postnatal stress negatively decreased by wall thicknesses, epithelial heights, and
crypt depths. It is noteworthy that the stress reactivity density percentages and positive cell
numbers decreased in the stress groups compared to the control groups. It was concluded
that prenatal and/or postnatal stress had an effect on this decrease.
Key Words : Perinatal Stress, Enteric Nervous System, Rat