The Macro- and Micro-Mechanics of the Colon and Rectum I: Experimental Evidence
Many lower gastrointestinal diseases are associated with altered mechanical movement and deformation of the large intestine, i.e., the colon and rectum. The leading reason for patients’ visits to gastrointestinal clinics is visceral pain, which is reliably evoked by mechanical distension rather than...
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MDPI AG
2020-10-01
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Series: | Bioengineering |
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/7/4/130 |
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author | Saeed Siri Yunmei Zhao Franz Maier David M. Pierce Bin Feng |
author_facet | Saeed Siri Yunmei Zhao Franz Maier David M. Pierce Bin Feng |
author_sort | Saeed Siri |
collection | DOAJ |
description | Many lower gastrointestinal diseases are associated with altered mechanical movement and deformation of the large intestine, i.e., the colon and rectum. The leading reason for patients’ visits to gastrointestinal clinics is visceral pain, which is reliably evoked by mechanical distension rather than non-mechanical stimuli such as inflammation or heating. The macroscopic biomechanics of the large intestine were characterized by mechanical tests and the microscopic by imaging the load-bearing constituents, i.e., intestinal collagen and muscle fibers. Regions with high mechanical stresses in the large intestine (submucosa and muscularis propria) coincide with locations of submucosal and myenteric neural plexuses, indicating a functional interaction between intestinal structural biomechanics and enteric neurons. In this review, we systematically summarized experimental evidence on the macro- and micro-scale biomechanics of the colon and rectum in both health and disease. We reviewed the heterogeneous mechanical properties of the colon and rectum and surveyed the imaging methods applied to characterize collagen fibers in the intestinal wall. We also discussed the presence of extrinsic and intrinsic neural tissues within different layers of the colon and rectum. This review provides a foundation for further advancements in intestinal biomechanics by synergistically studying the interplay between tissue biomechanics and enteric neurons. |
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language | English |
last_indexed | 2024-03-10T15:31:19Z |
publishDate | 2020-10-01 |
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series | Bioengineering |
spelling | doaj.art-2e4c1c4b5eea411da013fe809cf88d562023-11-20T17:36:51ZengMDPI AGBioengineering2306-53542020-10-017413010.3390/bioengineering7040130The Macro- and Micro-Mechanics of the Colon and Rectum I: Experimental EvidenceSaeed Siri0Yunmei Zhao1Franz Maier2David M. Pierce3Bin Feng4Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USADepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USALightweight Design and Composite Materials, University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria, 4600 Wels, AustriaDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USADepartment of Biomedical Engineering, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USAMany lower gastrointestinal diseases are associated with altered mechanical movement and deformation of the large intestine, i.e., the colon and rectum. The leading reason for patients’ visits to gastrointestinal clinics is visceral pain, which is reliably evoked by mechanical distension rather than non-mechanical stimuli such as inflammation or heating. The macroscopic biomechanics of the large intestine were characterized by mechanical tests and the microscopic by imaging the load-bearing constituents, i.e., intestinal collagen and muscle fibers. Regions with high mechanical stresses in the large intestine (submucosa and muscularis propria) coincide with locations of submucosal and myenteric neural plexuses, indicating a functional interaction between intestinal structural biomechanics and enteric neurons. In this review, we systematically summarized experimental evidence on the macro- and micro-scale biomechanics of the colon and rectum in both health and disease. We reviewed the heterogeneous mechanical properties of the colon and rectum and surveyed the imaging methods applied to characterize collagen fibers in the intestinal wall. We also discussed the presence of extrinsic and intrinsic neural tissues within different layers of the colon and rectum. This review provides a foundation for further advancements in intestinal biomechanics by synergistically studying the interplay between tissue biomechanics and enteric neurons.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/7/4/130colorectumlarge intestinemechanotransductionmulti-layeredexperiments |
spellingShingle | Saeed Siri Yunmei Zhao Franz Maier David M. Pierce Bin Feng The Macro- and Micro-Mechanics of the Colon and Rectum I: Experimental Evidence Bioengineering colorectum large intestine mechanotransduction multi-layered experiments |
title | The Macro- and Micro-Mechanics of the Colon and Rectum I: Experimental Evidence |
title_full | The Macro- and Micro-Mechanics of the Colon and Rectum I: Experimental Evidence |
title_fullStr | The Macro- and Micro-Mechanics of the Colon and Rectum I: Experimental Evidence |
title_full_unstemmed | The Macro- and Micro-Mechanics of the Colon and Rectum I: Experimental Evidence |
title_short | The Macro- and Micro-Mechanics of the Colon and Rectum I: Experimental Evidence |
title_sort | macro and micro mechanics of the colon and rectum i experimental evidence |
topic | colorectum large intestine mechanotransduction multi-layered experiments |
url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/7/4/130 |
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