FREE NEJM E-TOC    HOME   |   SUBSCRIBE   |   CURRENT ISSUE   |   PAST ISSUES   |   COLLECTIONS   |   Search Term  Advanced Search

Sign in | Get NEJM's E-Mail Table of Contents — Free | Subscribe

Previous Volume 334:1106-1115 April 25, 1996 Number 17 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

	Full Text PDF Purchase this article Add to Personal Archive Add to Citation Manager Notify a Friend E-mail When Cited Related Article PubMed Citation

The enteric nervous system is a collection of neurons in the gastrointestinal tract¹ that constitutes the "brain of the gut" and can function independently of the central nervous system.² This system controls the motility,^3,4 exocrine and endocrine secretions,⁵ and microcirculation⁶ of the gastrointestinal tract; it is also involved in regulating immune and inflammatory processes.⁷ In the past decade, major advances in the understanding of the enteric nervous system have led to a greater appreciation of its importance in clinical medicine. In this review we highlight some of these advances.

Development of the Enteric Nervous System

The enteric nervous system is primarily derived from cells of the . . . [Full Text of this Article]

Structure of the Enteric Nervous System

Chemical Nature of Neurons

Interactions between the Central and the Enteric Nervous Systems

Motor Input from the Central Nervous System

Sensory Output to the Central Nervous System

Targets of Enteric Neurons

Disorders of the Enteric Nervous System

Motility Disorders

            Achalasia

            Gastric Stasis and Outlet Obstruction

            Acute Intestinal Ileus and Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction

            Megacolon

            Generalized Disorders of Motility

Diarrhea Due to Noninvasive Secretagogues

Inflammatory and Immunologically Mediated Bowel Diseases

The Future

Source Information

From the Brockton–West Roxbury Veterans Affairs Medical Center and Harvard Medical School — both in Boston.

Address reprint requests to Dr. Goyal at the Research and Development Service, West Roxbury VA Medical Center, 1400 VFW Pky., West Roxbury, MA 02132.

References

This article has been cited by other articles:

• Alam, H. B., Fricchione, G. L., Guimaraes, A. S.R., Zukerberg, L. R. (2009). Case 31-2009 -- A 26-Year-Old Man with Abdominal Distention and Shock. NEJM 361: 1487-1496 [Full Text]  
• Conlin, V. S., Wu, X., Nguyen, C., Dai, C., Vallance, B. A., Buchan, A. M. J., Boyer, L., Jacobson, K. (2009). Vasoactive intestinal peptide ameliorates intestinal barrier disruption associated with Citrobacter rodentium-induced colitis. Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 297: G735-G750 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chaudhury, A., He, X.-D., Goyal, R. K. (2009). Role of PSD95 in membrane association and catalytic activity of nNOS{alpha} in nitrergic varicosities in mice gut. Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 297: G806-G813 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Viscusi, E. R., Gan, T. J., Leslie, J. B., Foss, J. F., Talon, M. D., Du, W., Owens, G. (2009). Peripherally Acting Mu-Opioid Receptor Antagonists and Postoperative Ileus: Mechanisms of Action and Clinical Applicability. Anesth. Analg. 108: 1811-1822 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Heitzmann, D., Warth, R. (2008). Physiology and Pathophysiology of Potassium Channels in Gastrointestinal Epithelia. Physiol. Rev. 88: 1119-1182 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Straub, R H, Grum, F, Strauch, U, Capellino, S, Bataille, F, Bleich, A, Falk, W, Scholmerich, J, Obermeier, F (2008). Anti-inflammatory role of sympathetic nerves in chronic intestinal inflammation. Gut 57: 911-921 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chevalier, J., Derkinderen, P., Gomes, P., Thinard, R., Naveilhan, P., Vanden Berghe, P., Neunlist, M. (2008). Activity-dependent regulation of tyrosine hydroxylase expression in the enteric nervous system. J. Physiol. 586: 1963-1975 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Benarroch, E. E. (2007). Enteric nervous system: Functional organization and neurologic implications. Neurology 69: 1953-1957 [Full Text]  
• Wang, J, Hauer-Jensen, M (2007). Neuroimmune interactions: potential target for mitigating or treating intestinal radiation injury. Br. J. Radiol. 80: S41-S48 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Straub, R H, Wiest, R, Strauch, U G, Harle, P, Scholmerich, J (2006). The role of the sympathetic nervous system in intestinal inflammation.. Gut 55: 1640-1649 [Full Text]  
• Ruhl, A (2006). Glial regulation of neuronal plasticity in the gut: implications for clinicians. Gut 55: 600-602 [Full Text]  
• Mawdsley, J E, Rampton, D S (2005). Psychological stress in IBD: new insights into pathogenic and therapeutic implications. Gut 54: 1481-1491 [Full Text]  
• Aihara, T., Nakamura, Y., Taketo, M. M., Matsui, M., Okabe, S. (2005). Cholinergically stimulated gastric acid secretion is mediated by M3 and M5 but not M1 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors in mice. Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 288: G1199-G1207 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Baker, D. E. (2005). Rationale for using serotonergic agents to treat irritable bowel syndrome. Am J Health Syst Pharm 62: 700-711 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• De Giorgio, R, Sarnelli, G, Corinaldesi, R, Stanghellini, V (2004). Advances in our understanding of the pathology of chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction. Gut 53: 1549-1552 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Lin, H. C. (2004). Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth: A Framework for Understanding Irritable Bowel Syndrome. JAMA 292: 852-858 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sumiyoshi, H., Mor, N., Lee, S. Y., Doty, S., Henderson, S., Tanaka, S., Yoshioka, H., Rattan, S., Ramirez, F. (2004). Esophageal muscle physiology and morphogenesis require assembly of a collagen XIX-rich basement membrane zone. JCB 166: 591-600 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Crescimanno, C., Merigo, F., Bernardi, P., Osculati, F., Sbarbati, A. (2004). Neurochemistry of the Gustatory Subgemmal Plexus. Chem Senses 29: 537-546 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Brackbill, S., Shi, G., Hirano, I. (2003). Diminished mechanosensitivity and chemosensitivity in patients with achalasia. Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 285: G1198-G1203 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Wilkins, A., Majed, H., Layfield, R., Compston, A., Chandran, S. (2003). Oligodendrocytes Promote Neuronal Survival and Axonal Length by Distinct Intracellular Mechanisms: A Novel Role for Oligodendrocyte-Derived Glial Cell Line-Derived Neurotrophic Factor. J. Neurosci. 23: 4967-4974 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Akritidis, N., Gousis, C., Dimos, G., Paparounas, K. (2003). Fever, Cough, and Bilateral Lung Infiltrates. Chest 123: 608-612 [Full Text]  
• Matsui, M., Motomura, D., Fujikawa, T., Jiang, J., Takahashi, S.-i., Manabe, T., Taketo, M. M. (2002). Mice Lacking M2 and M3 Muscarinic Acetylcholine Receptors Are Devoid of Cholinergic Smooth Muscle Contractions But Still Viable. J. Neurosci. 22: 10627-10632 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fass, R, Tougas, G (2002). Functional heartburn: the stimulus, the pain, and the brain. Gut 51: 885-892 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Hosoda, Y., Karaki, S.-I., Shimoda, Y., Kuwahara, A. (2002). Substance P-evoked Cl- secretion in guinea pig distal colonic epithelia: interaction with PGE2. Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 283: G347-G356 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Pol, O., Alameda, F., Puig, M. M. (2001). Inflammation Enhances {micro}-Opioid Receptor Transcription and Expression in Mice Intestine. Mol. Pharmacol. 60: 894-899 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Sham, M H, Lui, V C H, Fu, M, Chen, B, Tam, P K H (2001). SOX10 is abnormally expressed in aganglionic bowel of Hirschsprung's disease infants. Gut 49: 220-226 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Halsey, N. A., Hyman, S. L., the Conference Writing Panel, (2001). Measles-Mumps-Rubella Vaccine and Autistic Spectrum Disorder: Report From the New Challenges in Childhood Immunizations Conference Convened in Oak Brook, Illinois, June 12-13, 2000. Pediatrics 107: 84e-84 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Fan, Y.-P., Chakder, S., Gao, F., Rattan, S. (2001). Inducible and neuronal nitric oxide synthase involvement in lipopolysaccharide-induced sphincteric dysfunction. Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 280: G32-G42 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Goyal, R K (2000). Targets of enteric motor neurones: smooth muscle cells. Gut 47: iv38-39 [Full Text]  
• Mourad, F H, Nassar, C F (2000). Effect of vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) antagonism on rat jejunal fluid and electrolyte secretion induced by cholera and Escherichia coli enterotoxins. Gut 47: 382-386 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Matsui, M., Motomura, D., Karasawa, H., Fujikawa, T., Jiang, J., Komiya, Y., Takahashi, S.-i., Taketo, M. M. (2000). Multiple functional defects in peripheral autonomic organs in mice lacking muscarinic acetylcholine receptor gene for the M3 subtype. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97: 9579-9584 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Rapp, C. E. Jr, Torres, M. M. (2000). The Adult With Cerebral Palsy. Arch Fam Med 9: 466-472 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Xue, L., Farrugia, G., Miller, S. M., Ferris, C. D., Snyder, S. H., Szurszewski, J. H. (2000). Carbon monoxide and nitric oxide as coneurotransmitters in the enteric nervous system: Evidence from genomic deletion of biosynthetic enzymes. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 97: 1851-1855 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Liu, J., Yamamoto, Y., Schirmer, B. D., Ross, R. A., Mittal, R. K. (2000). Evidence for a peripheral mechanism of esophagocrural diaphragm inhibitory reflex in cats. Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 278: G281-G288 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Calderon, G. M., Torres-Lopez, J., Lin, T.-J., Chavez, B., Hernandez, M., Munoz, O., Befus, A. D., Enciso, J. A. (1998). Effects of Toxin A from Clostridium difficile on Mast Cell Activation and Survival. Infect. Immun. 66: 2755-2761 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Pothoulakis, C., Castagliuolo, I., LaMont, J. T. (1998). Nerves and Intestinal Mast Cells Modulate Responses to Enterotoxins. Physiology 13: 58-63 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Abi-Hanna, A., Lake, A. M. (1998). Constipation and Encopresis in Childhood. Pediatr. Rev. 19: 23-31 [Full Text]  
• Fiocchi, C. (1997). Intestinal inflammation: a complex interplay of immune and nonimmune cell interactions. Am. J. Physiol. Gastrointest. Liver Physiol. 273: G769-G775 [Abstract] [Full Text]  
• Chakder, S., Rattan, S. (1997). L-Arginine Deficiency Causes Suppression of Nonadrenergic Noncholinergic Nerve-Mediated Smooth Muscle Relaxation: Role of L-Citrulline Recycling. J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 282: 378-384 [Abstract] [Full Text]