ABSTRACT
Motility and secretory disorders of the gastrointestinal tract are very common. These disorders often occur in patients with enteric infections, or with inflammatory bowel disease such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis (Gay et al., 1999; Palmer and Greenwood-Vanmeerveld, 2001; Schneider et al., 2001). The hallmarks of enteric infections or inflammatory bowel disease are abdominal malaise and diarrhoea. Structural changes in the enteric nervous system may be the basis for the pathogenesis of disturbances in gut function (Schnieder et al., 2001). During inflammation, microbial penetration or intestinal allergic responses, chloride secretion and fluid volume are amplified and motility patterns are activated, resulting in flushing out of the luminal contents, that is, diarrhoea (Eklund et al., 1985; Palmer and Greenwood-Vanmeerveld, 2001). Neural reflex pathways within the enteric nervous system are responsible for these motility and secretory patterns. While reflex regulation of motility or secretion has been studied individually, little is known about the neurons that link the two and how these pathways coordinate such distinct functions. An understanding of how the neural circuits function in health and disease will provide insights into therapeutic interventions for gastrointestinal motility and secretory disorders.
