%0 Journal Article %T Effect of different glyphosate doses on the chemical coding of neurons of the enteric nervous system of the porcine descending colon. %A Bulc M %A Całka J %A Jana B %A Palus K %J Folia Morphol (Warsz) %V 0 %N 0 %D 2023 Dec 11 %M 38078736 %F 1.195 %R 10.5603/fm.97761 %X BACKGROUND: Neurons of the enteric nervous system are characterised by high neuronal plasticity, with their number likely to change in response to various endogenous and exogenous substances.
METHODS: Fifteen sexually immature gilts divided into 3 groups were used: control - animals receiving empty gelatin capsules; G1 - animals receiving a low dose of glyphosate - 0.05 mg/kg bw/day; G2 - animals receiving a higher dose of glyphosate-0.5 mg/kg/day in gelatin capsules orally for 28 days. Frozen sections were then subjected to the procedure of double immunofluorescent staining.
RESULTS: With low-dose supplementation, no effect on the SP- and CART-positive neuron population was observed. However, a reduction in the number of VAChT-positive neurons in the internal submucosal plexus was described, while the number of CGRP-positive neurons increased in all enteric plexuses. In response to a high glyphosate dose, the quantitative variability of the neurons was significantly more pronounced than that for a low dose. There was an increase in the number of SP- and CGRP-positive neurons and a decrease in the number of VAChT-positive neurons in both the myenteric plexus and the submucosal plexuses. The response of CART-positive neurons was the weakest, as a high dose of glyphosate led to an increase in the number of neurons only in the myenteric plexus.
CONCLUSIONS: The above data show that glyphosate is an exogenous substance that affects neuronal populations of the enteric nervous system, in this case, the descending colon.