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Wattchow DA, Brookes SJ, Spencer NJ, Heitmann PT, De Giorgio R, Costa M, Dinning PG. From the organ bath to the whole person: a review of human colonic motility. ANZ J Surg 2024; 94:320-326. [PMID: 37974532 DOI: 10.1111/ans.18779] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2023] [Revised: 11/01/2023] [Accepted: 11/02/2023] [Indexed: 11/19/2023]
Abstract
Motor function of the colon is essential for health. Our current understanding of the mechanisms that underlie colonic motility are based upon a range of experimental techniques, including molecular biology, single cell studies, recordings from muscle strips, analysis of part or whole organ ex vivo through to in vivo human recordings. For the surgeon involved in the clinical management of colonic conditions this amounts to a formidable volume of material. Here, we synthesize the key findings from these various experimental approaches so that surgeons can be better armed to deal with the complexities of the colon.
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Affiliation(s)
- David A Wattchow
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Departments of Surgery and Gastroenterology, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Simon J Brookes
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Nick J Spencer
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Paul T Heitmann
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Roberto De Giorgio
- Department of Translational Medicine, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Marcello Costa
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
| | - Phil G Dinning
- College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
- Departments of Surgery and Gastroenterology, Flinders Medical Centre, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
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Understanding the physiology of human defaecation and disorders of continence and evacuation. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 2021; 18:751-769. [PMID: 34373626 DOI: 10.1038/s41575-021-00487-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/21/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The act of defaecation, although a ubiquitous human experience, requires the coordinated actions of the anorectum and colon, pelvic floor musculature, and the enteric, peripheral and central nervous systems. Defaecation is best appreciated through the description of four phases, which are, temporally and physiologically, reasonably discrete. However, given the complexity of this process, it is unsurprising that disorders of defaecation are both common and problematic; almost everyone will experience constipation at some time in their life and many will develop faecal incontinence. A detailed understanding of the normal physiology of defaecation and continence is critical to inform management of disorders of defaecation. During the past decade, there have been major advances in the investigative tools used to assess colonic and anorectal function. This Review details the current understanding of defaecation and continence. This includes an overview of the relevant anatomy and physiology, a description of the four phases of defaecation, and factors influencing defaecation (demographics, stool frequency/consistency, psychobehavioural factors, posture, circadian rhythm, dietary intake and medications). A summary of the known pathophysiology of defaecation disorders including constipation, faecal incontinence and irritable bowel syndrome is also included, as well as considerations for further research in this field.
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3
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Gershon MD, Margolis KG. The gut, its microbiome, and the brain: connections and communications. J Clin Invest 2021; 131:143768. [PMID: 34523615 PMCID: PMC8439601 DOI: 10.1172/jci143768] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Modern research on gastrointestinal behavior has revealed it to be a highly complex bidirectional process in which the gut sends signals to the brain, via spinal and vagal visceral afferent pathways, and receives sympathetic and parasympathetic inputs. Concomitantly, the enteric nervous system within the bowel, which contains intrinsic primary afferent neurons, interneurons, and motor neurons, also senses the enteric environment and controls the detailed patterns of intestinal motility and secretion. The vast microbiome that is resident within the enteric lumen is yet another contributor, not only to gut behavior, but to the bidirectional signaling process, so that the existence of a microbiota-gut-brain "connectome" has become apparent. The interaction between the microbiota, the bowel, and the brain now appears to be neither a top-down nor a bottom-up process. Instead, it is an ongoing, tripartite conversation, the outline of which is beginning to emerge and is the subject of this Review. We emphasize aspects of the exponentially increasing knowledge of the microbiota-gut-brain "connectome" and focus attention on the roles that serotonin, Toll-like receptors, and macrophages play in signaling as exemplars of potentially generalizable mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kara Gross Margolis
- Department of Pediatrics, Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York, USA
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4
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Desprez C, Turmel N, Chesnel C, Mistry P, Tamiatto M, Haddad R, Le Breton F, Leroi AM, Hentzen C, Amarenco G. Comparison of clinical and paraclinical characteristics of patients with urge, mixed, and passive fecal incontinence: a systematic literature review. Int J Colorectal Dis 2021; 36:633-644. [PMID: 33210162 DOI: 10.1007/s00384-020-03803-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Two subgroups of fecal incontinence (FI) are described in literature and used in clinical practice. However, the pertinence of this classification of FI is still unknown as there are no clear established guidelines. To a better understanding, we performed a systematic review to characterize the different types of FI (active, passive, or mixed) on the basis of clinical presentation and complementary explorations. METHODS This systematic literature review was performed in reference to recommendations for systematic review using PRISMA guidelines without date restriction, until May 2020. This systematic review was performed without temporal limitation using MEDLINE-PubMed, Cochrane Library, and Google Scholar databases. RESULTS Six hundred nine unique citations were identified from all the databases combined. Of those, 21 studies met the inclusion criteria, with 8 retrospective observational studies and 13 prospective observational studies. There was a lack of homogeneity in definitions of passive and urge (active) FI among studies. Prevalence of passive and urge FI was respectively of 4.0-5.0 and 15.0-35.0%. Clinical characteristics, physical examination, and endoanal imaging were not evaluated in most studies. In anorectal manometry, maximal squeeze pressure was higher in passive FI subgroup in most studies and results regarding maximal resting pressure remain discordant. There seemed to be no difference regarding first sensation volume and maximal tolerable volume among subgroups. A few studies evaluated pudendal terminal nerve motor latency with no difference among subgroups. CONCLUSION There is a lack of well-conducted prospective studies comparing the different subtypes of FI with validated definitions in both clinical and paraclinical examinations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Desprez
- GRC 001, GREEN Groupe de Recherche Clinique en Neuro-Urologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Tenon, Sorbonne Université, 75020, Paris, France. .,Digestive physiology Unit, Rouen University Hospital, 1 rue de Germont, 76031, Rouen, France.
| | - N Turmel
- GRC 001, GREEN Groupe de Recherche Clinique en Neuro-Urologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Tenon, Sorbonne Université, 75020, Paris, France
| | - C Chesnel
- GRC 001, GREEN Groupe de Recherche Clinique en Neuro-Urologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Tenon, Sorbonne Université, 75020, Paris, France
| | - P Mistry
- GRC 001, GREEN Groupe de Recherche Clinique en Neuro-Urologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Tenon, Sorbonne Université, 75020, Paris, France
| | - M Tamiatto
- GRC 001, GREEN Groupe de Recherche Clinique en Neuro-Urologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Tenon, Sorbonne Université, 75020, Paris, France
| | - R Haddad
- GRC 001, GREEN Groupe de Recherche Clinique en Neuro-Urologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Tenon, Sorbonne Université, 75020, Paris, France
| | - F Le Breton
- GRC 001, GREEN Groupe de Recherche Clinique en Neuro-Urologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Tenon, Sorbonne Université, 75020, Paris, France
| | - A-M Leroi
- Digestive physiology Unit, Rouen University Hospital, 1 rue de Germont, 76031, Rouen, France
| | - C Hentzen
- GRC 001, GREEN Groupe de Recherche Clinique en Neuro-Urologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Tenon, Sorbonne Université, 75020, Paris, France
| | - G Amarenco
- GRC 001, GREEN Groupe de Recherche Clinique en Neuro-Urologie, AP-HP, Hôpital Tenon, Sorbonne Université, 75020, Paris, France
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5
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Abstract
The gut-brain axis is a coordinated communication system that not only maintains homeostasis, but significantly influences higher cognitive functions and emotions, as well as neurological and behavioral disorders. Among the large populations of sensory and motor neurons that innervate the gut, insights into the function of primary afferent nociceptors, whose cell bodies reside in the dorsal root ganglia and nodose ganglia, have revealed their multiple crosstalk with several cell types within the gut wall, including epithelial, vascular, and immune cells. These bidirectional communications have immunoregulatory functions, control host response to pathogens, and modulate sensations associated with gastrointestinal disorders, through activation of immune cells and glia in the peripheral and central nervous system, respectively. Here, we will review the cellular and neurochemical basis of these interactions at the periphery, in dorsal root ganglia, and in the spinal cord. We will discuss the research gaps that should be addressed to get a better understanding of the multifunctional role of sensory neurons in maintaining gut homeostasis and regulating visceral sensitivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nasser Abdullah
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Inflammation Research Network-Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Manon Defaye
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Inflammation Research Network-Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
| | - Christophe Altier
- Department of Physiology and Pharmacology, Inflammation Research Network-Snyder Institute for Chronic Diseases and Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Supraspinal Mechanisms of Intestinal Hypersensitivity. Cell Mol Neurobiol 2020; 42:389-417. [PMID: 33030712 DOI: 10.1007/s10571-020-00967-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Gut inflammation or injury causes intestinal hypersensitivity (IHS) and hyperalgesia, which can persist after the initiating pathology resolves, are often referred to somatic regions and exacerbated by psychological stress, anxiety or depression, suggesting the involvement of both the spinal cord and the brain. The supraspinal mechanisms of IHS remain to be fully elucidated, however, over the last decades the series of intestinal pathology-associated neuroplastic changes in the brain has been revealed, being potentially responsible for the phenomenon. This paper reviews current clinical and experimental data, including the authors' own findings, on these functional, structural, and neurochemical/molecular changes within cortical, subcortical and brainstem regions processing and modulating sensory signals from the gut. As concluded in the review, IHS can develop and maintain due to the bowel inflammation/injury-induced persistent hyperexcitability of viscerosensory brainstem and thalamic nuclei and sensitization of hypothalamic, amygdala, hippocampal, anterior insular, and anterior cingulate cortical areas implicated in the neuroendocrine, emotional and cognitive modulation of visceral sensation and pain. An additional contribution may come from the pathology-triggered dysfunction of the brainstem structures inhibiting nociception. The mechanism underlying IHS-associated regional hyperexcitability is enhanced NMDA-, AMPA- and group I metabotropic receptor-mediated glutamatergic neurotransmission in association with altered neuropeptide Y, corticotropin-releasing factor, and cannabinoid 1 receptor signaling. These alterations are at least partially mediated by brain microglia and local production of cytokines, especially tumor necrosis factor α. Studying the IHS-related brain neuroplasticity in greater depth may enable the development of new therapeutic approaches against chronic abdominal pain in inflammatory bowel disease.
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Johnson AC, Louwies T, Ligon CO, Greenwood-Van Meerveld B. Enlightening the frontiers of neurogastroenterology through optogenetics. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2020; 319:G391-G399. [PMID: 32755304 PMCID: PMC7717115 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00384.2019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Neurogastroenterology refers to the study of the extrinsic and intrinsic nervous system circuits controlling the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Over the past 5-10 yr there has been an explosion in novel methodologies, technologies and approaches that offer great promise to advance our understanding of the basic mechanisms underlying GI function in health and disease. This review focuses on the use of optogenetics combined with electrophysiology in the field of neurogastroenterology. We discuss how these technologies and tools are currently being used to explore the brain-gut axis and debate the future research potential and limitations of these techniques. Taken together, we consider that the use of these technologies will enable researchers to answer important questions in neurogastroenterology through fundamental research. The answers to those questions will shorten the path from basic discovery to new treatments for patient populations with disorders of the brain-gut axis affecting the GI tract such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), functional dyspepsia, achalasia, and delayed gastric emptying.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anthony C. Johnson
- 1Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,2Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,3Department of Neurology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Tijs Louwies
- 1Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Casey O. Ligon
- 1Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
| | - Beverley Greenwood-Van Meerveld
- 1Oklahoma Center for Neuroscience, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,2Oklahoma City Veterans Affairs Health Care System, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma,4Department of Physiology, University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
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Lucarini E, Parisio C, Branca JJV, Segnani C, Ippolito C, Pellegrini C, Antonioli L, Fornai M, Micheli L, Pacini A, Bernardini N, Blandizzi C, Ghelardini C, Di Cesare Mannelli L. Deepening the Mechanisms of Visceral Pain Persistence: An Evaluation of the Gut-Spinal Cord Relationship. Cells 2020; 9:cells9081772. [PMID: 32722246 PMCID: PMC7464824 DOI: 10.3390/cells9081772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 07/11/2020] [Accepted: 07/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
The management of visceral pain is a major clinical problem in patients affected by gastrointestinal disorders. The poor knowledge about pain chronicization mechanisms prompted us to study the functional and morphological alterations of the gut and nervous system in the animal model of persistent visceral pain caused by 2,4-dinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (DNBS). This agent, injected intrarectally, induced a colonic inflammation peaking on day 3 and remitting progressively from day 7. In concomitance with bowel inflammation, the animals developed visceral hypersensitivity, which persisted after colitis remission for up to three months. On day 14, the administration of pain-relieving drugs (injected intraperitoneally and intrathecally) revealed a mixed nociceptive, inflammatory and neuropathic pain originating from both the peripheral and central nervous system. At this time point, the colonic histological analysis highlighted a partial restitution of the tunica mucosa, transmural collagen deposition, infiltration of mast cells and eosinophils, and upregulation of substance P (SP)-positive nerve fibers, which were surrounded by eosinophils and MHC-II-positive macrophages. A significant activation of microglia and astrocytes was observed in the dorsal and ventral horns of spinal cord. These results suggest that the persistence of visceral pain induced by colitis results from maladaptive plasticity of the enteric, peripheral and central nervous systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Lucarini
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, Neurofarba, Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy; (E.L.); (C.P.); (L.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Carmen Parisio
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, Neurofarba, Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy; (E.L.); (C.P.); (L.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Jacopo J. V. Branca
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine—DMSC, Anatomy and Histology Section, University of Florence, L. go Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (J.J.V.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Cristina Segnani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Histology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (C.S.); (C.I.); (N.B.)
| | - Chiara Ippolito
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Histology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (C.S.); (C.I.); (N.B.)
| | - Carolina Pellegrini
- Department of Pharmacy, Unit of Pharmacology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy;
| | - Luca Antonioli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Pharmacology and Pharmacovigilance, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (L.A.); (M.F.); (C.B.)
| | - Matteo Fornai
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Pharmacology and Pharmacovigilance, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (L.A.); (M.F.); (C.B.)
| | - Laura Micheli
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, Neurofarba, Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy; (E.L.); (C.P.); (L.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Alessandra Pacini
- Department of Experimental and Clinical Medicine—DMSC, Anatomy and Histology Section, University of Florence, L. go Brambilla 3, 50134 Florence, Italy; (J.J.V.B.); (A.P.)
| | - Nunzia Bernardini
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Histology, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (C.S.); (C.I.); (N.B.)
- Interdepartmental Research Center “Nutraceuticals and Food for Health”, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy
| | - Corrado Blandizzi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Pharmacology and Pharmacovigilance, University of Pisa, 56126 Pisa, Italy; (L.A.); (M.F.); (C.B.)
| | - Carla Ghelardini
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, Neurofarba, Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy; (E.L.); (C.P.); (L.M.); (C.G.)
| | - Lorenzo Di Cesare Mannelli
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology, Drug Research and Child Health, Neurofarba, Pharmacology and Toxicology Section, University of Florence, Viale Pieraccini 6, 50139 Florence, Italy; (E.L.); (C.P.); (L.M.); (C.G.)
- Correspondence:
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9
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Brierley SM, Hibberd TJ, Spencer NJ. Spinal Afferent Innervation of the Colon and Rectum. Front Cell Neurosci 2018; 12:467. [PMID: 30564102 PMCID: PMC6288476 DOI: 10.3389/fncel.2018.00467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite their seemingly elementary roles, the colon and rectum undertake a variety of key processes to ensure our overall wellbeing. Such processes are coordinated by the transmission of sensory signals from the periphery to the central nervous system, allowing communication from the gut to the brain via the "gut-brain axis". These signals are transmitted from the peripheral terminals of extrinsic sensory nerve fibers, located within the wall of the colon or rectum, and via their axons within the spinal splanchnic and pelvic nerves to the spinal cord. Recent studies utilizing electrophysiological, anatomical and gene expression techniques indicate a surprisingly diverse set of distinct afferent subclasses, which innervate all layers of the colon and rectum. Combined these afferent sub-types allow the detection of luminal contents, low- and high-intensity stretch or contraction, in addition to the detection of inflammatory, immune, and microbial mediators. To add further complexity, the proportions of these afferents vary within splanchnic and pelvic pathways, whilst the density of the splanchnic and pelvic innervation also varies along the colon and rectum. In this review we traverse this complicated landscape to elucidate afferent function, structure, and nomenclature to provide insights into how the extrinsic sensory afferent innervation of the colon and rectum gives rise to physiological defecatory reflexes and sensations of discomfort, bloating, urgency, and pain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stuart M Brierley
- Visceral Pain Research Group, Centre for Neuroscience, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia.,Centre for Nutrition and Gastrointestinal Diseases, Discipline of Medicine, South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute (SAHMRI), University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia
| | - Timothy J Hibberd
- Visceral Neurophysiology Laboratory, Centre for Neuroscience, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
| | - Nick J Spencer
- Visceral Neurophysiology Laboratory, Centre for Neuroscience, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park, SA, Australia
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10
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Hockley JRF, Smith ESJ, Bulmer DC. Human visceral nociception: findings from translational studies in human tissue. Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol 2018; 315:G464-G472. [PMID: 29848022 DOI: 10.1152/ajpgi.00398.2017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Peripheral sensitization of nociceptors during disease has long been recognized as a leading cause of inflammatory pain. However, a growing body of data generated over the last decade has led to the increased understanding that peripheral sensitization is also an important mechanism driving abdominal pain in highly prevalent functional bowel disorders, in particular, irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). As such, the development of drugs that target pain-sensing nerves innervating the bowel has the potential to be a successful analgesic strategy for the treatment of abdominal pain in both organic and functional gastrointestinal diseases. Despite the success of recent peripherally restricted approaches for the treatment of IBS, not all drugs that have shown efficacy in animal models of visceral pain have reduced pain end points in clinical trials of IBS patients, suggesting innate differences in the mechanisms of pain processing between rodents and humans and, in particular, how we model disease states. To address this gap in our understanding of peripheral nociception from the viscera and the body in general, several groups have developed experimental systems to study nociception in isolated human tissue and neurons, the findings of which we discuss in this review. Studies of human tissue identify a repertoire of human primary afferent subtypes comparable to rodent models including a nociceptor population, the targeting of which will shape future analgesic development efforts. Detailed mechanistic studies in human sensory neurons combined with unbiased RNA-sequencing approaches have revealed fundamental differences in not only receptor/channel expression but also peripheral pain pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- James R F Hockley
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge , Cambridge , United Kingdom
| | - Ewan St John Smith
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge , Cambridge , United Kingdom
| | - David C Bulmer
- Department of Pharmacology, University of Cambridge , Cambridge , United Kingdom
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11
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Abstract
This review addresses three main questions: (1) Why is anorectal sensory function important in humans? (2) What is the evidence for anorectal sensory dysfunction in disease? (3) Can anorectal sensory function be modified for therapeutic benefit?
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles H Knowles
- Blizard Institute, Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK.
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