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- Title
Review article: roles played by 5-hydroxytryptamine in the physiology of the bowel.
- Authors
Gershon, M. D.
- Abstract
The application of 5-HT to the gut elicits a wide variety of effects because of the expression and wide distribution in the bowel of many subtypes of 5-HT. There is, however, no reason to believe that all of these receptors are stimulated by endogenous 5-HT. 5-HT has been found to be the neurotransmitter of a subset of myenteric interneurons, which evoke a slow excitatory postsynaptic response mediated by 5-HT1P receptors. The major enteric depot of 5-HT is found in mucosal enterochromaffin cells, which are sensory transducers that utilize 5-FIT to activate both intrinsic (via 5-HT1P and 5-HT4 receptors) and extrinsic (via 5-HT3 receptors) primary afferent nerves. Mucosal 5-HT is inactivated by uptake into epithelial cells mediated by the same 5-HT transporter utilized by serotonergic neurons. Antagonism of 5-HT receptors by compounds such as alosetron should be useful in treating functional bowel disease because they can inhibit excitation of extrinsic sensory nerves by 5-HT without interfering with intrinsic enteric reflexes.
- Subjects
INTESTINAL diseases; IRRITABLE colon; RECEPTOR antibodies; INTERNEURONS; SEROTONINERGIC mechanisms; NERVOUS system
- Publication
Alimentary Pharmacology & Therapeutics, 1999, Vol 13, p15
- ISSN
0269-2813
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1046/j.1365-2036.1999.00002.x-i2