Chorioamnionitis, is often caused by intra-amniotic (IA) infection by single or multiple microbes. Chorioamnionitis can be either acute or chronic and is associated with adverse postnatal outcomes of the intestine, including necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). Neonates with NEC have shown structural and functional damage of the mucosa, submucosal and myenteric plexus with loss of enteric glial cells. Furthermore, it is known that the intestinal mucus barrier is severely disrupted in neonates suffering from NEC which is characterized by a reduced mucus production and secretion.
We studied the impact of acute, chronic or repetitive antenatal inflammatory stimuli on the development of the intestinal mucosa and enteric nervous system (ENS) in different preclinical ovine chorioamnionitis models.
We found loss of neurons and glial cells in utero following chronic UP exposure. In addition, changes of the mucosal barrier were observed following acute IA UP exposure which might be indicative for disturbed goblet cell function. These changes correspond with intestinal alterations in neonates with NEC and may therefore form a novel mechanistic explanation underlying the association of chorioamnionitis and NEC.