Abstract
Disorders of gastrointestinal function are common and significantly reduce quality-of-life, as well as negatively impacting healthcare costs. Consequently, there is much interest in understanding the pathogenesis of these disorders. Increasing, albeit as yet limited, evidence has implicated alterations in 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) release, and the subsequent interaction of 5-HT with specific 5-HT receptor subtypes, in the altered gut function of patients with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and other functional bowel diseases. Alterations to enterochromaffin cells and/or 5-HT signaling can result in gastrointestinal dysmotility, visceral hypersensitivity and secretomotor abnormalities in the gut. Evidence is beginning to link disturbed 5-HT physiology with the pathophysiology of diarrhea and constipation in IBS, and with slow-transit constipation. This review discusses the current evidence on the pathobiology of these systems.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 55-60 |
| Number of pages | 6 |
| Journal | Current Opinion in Investigational Drugs |
| Volume | 5 |
| Issue number | 1 |
| State | Published - Jan 2004 |
Keywords
- 5-HT
- Enterochromaffin cells
- Irritable bowel syndrome
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pharmacology
- Drug Discovery