Muscarinic receptors control markers of inflammation in the small intestine of BALB/c mice.

Muscarinic-acetylcholine-receptors (mAChRs) modulate intestinal homeostasis, but their role in inflammation is unclear; thus, this issue was the focus of this study. BALB/c mice were treated for 7 days with muscarine (mAChR/agonist), atropine (mAChR/antagonist) or saline. Small-intestine samples were collected for histology and cytofluorometric assays in Peyer's patches (PP) and lamina propria (LP) cell-suspensions. In LP, goblet-cells/leukocytes/neutrophils/MPO ⁺ cells and MPO/activity were increased in the muscarine group. In PP, IFN-γ ⁺ /CD4 ⁺ T or IL-6 ⁺ /CD4 ⁺ T cell numbers were higher in the muscarine or atropine groups, respectively. In LP, TNF-α ⁺ /CD4 ⁺ T cell number was higher in the muscarine group and lower in the atropine.
(Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)