Intestinal neurons in acute and chronic rejection after small bowel transplantation in dogs.

THE mechanisms responsible for the altered neuromus1. cular activity that results in the impaired motility of small bowel transplant recipients are incompletely understood. Autotransplantation studies in small l or large2 animals have shown that harvesting process, preservation, and reperfusion may impair the function of the enteric nervous system during small bowel transplantation. It is not known, however, whether the immunologic events and vasculopathy that occur during acute and chronic rejection cause further damage to the enteric nervous system.