![]() ![]() In humans, the ENS contains ∼5 × 10 8 neurons of >15 functional classes comprising a wide range of neurotransmitters, projection patterns, and electrical properties ( 71). ![]() An important arbiter of these processes is the enteric nervous system (ENS), a network of neurons and glia within the wall of the bowel that controls most aspects of intestinal function. The gastrointestinal tract requires finely tuned control over muscular activity and fluid secretion to efficiently break down macroscopic food particles, efficiently extract nutrients, and maintain a healthy luminal microbiome. Disease prevention may also be possible by modifying the fetal microenvironment to reduce the penetrance of Hirschsprung disease-causing mutations. Recent work also focuses on disease treatment by exploring the natural role of ENS stem cells and investigating potential therapeutic uses. ![]() Important areas of active investigation include mechanisms that guide ENCDC migration, the role and signals downstream of endothelin receptor type B, and control of differentiation, neurochemical coding, and axonal targeting. Molecules controlling this process, including glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and its receptor RET, endothelin (ET)-3 and its receptor endothelin receptor type B, and transcription factors such as SOX10 and PHOX2B, are required for ENS development in humans. After initial migration, the ENS develops further by responding to guidance factors and morphogens that pattern the bowel concentrically, differentiating into glia and neuronal subtypes and wiring together to form a functional nervous system. The ENS originates in the neural crest, mostly from the vagal levels of the neuraxis, which invades, proliferates, and migrates within the intestinal wall until the entire bowel is colonized with enteric neural crest-derived cells (ENCDCs). ![]() Developmental studies in model organisms and genetic studies of the most common congenital disease of the ENS, Hirschsprung disease, have provided a detailed understanding of ENS development. The ENS is vital for life and is capable of autonomous regulation of motility and secretion. The enteric nervous system (ENS) provides the intrinsic innervation of the bowel and is the most neurochemically diverse branch of the peripheral nervous system, consisting of two layers of ganglia and fibers encircling the gastrointestinal tract. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |