Yinna 

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) affects over 3 million Americans and causes inflammation in the intestines. The most prevalent symptom of IBD is diarrhea, which suggests increased gut motility primarily regulated by the enteric nervous system (ENS). This study aimed to understand how enteric neurons affect disease progression in a dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced colitis mouse model. For this study, 2.5% DSS was added to the drinking water of mice for 7 days to induce colitis. Mice were weighed daily, and after they were sacrificed, their colons were measured to assess disease progression. Colitis severity and its effect on enteric neurons were then assessed with immunostaining and imaging. DSS-treated mice saw a significant loss in body weight after day 4 and severe colonic shortening upon tissue removal. Interestingly, immunohistochemical analysis revealed a slight increase in cholinergic enteric neurons in DSS mice. These findings provide insight into how intestinal inflammation is impacted by enteric neurons' functioning and highlight the potential of targeting ENS function with new therapeutic strategies.