Enteric glia regulate gut motility in health and disease

Publication date: Available online 29 March 2017
Source:Brain Research Bulletin
Author(s): Vladimir Grubišić, Alexei Verkhratsky, Robert Zorec, Vladimir Parpura
The enteric nervous system, often referred to as the second brain, is the largest assembly of neurons and glia outside the central nervous system. The enteric nervous system resides within the wall of the digestive tract and regulates local gut reflexes involved in gastrointestinal motility, blood flow and fluid transport; all these functions can be accomplished in the absence of the extrinsic innervation from the central nervous system. It is neurons and their circuitry within the enteric nervous system that govern the gut reflexes. However, it is becoming clear that enteric glial cells are also actively involved in this process through the bidirectional signaling with neurons and other cells in the gut wall. We synthesize the recently discovered modulatory roles of enteric gliotransmission in gut motility and provide our perspective for future lines of research.



http://ift.tt/2oJJOqY