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Medical Professionals
Function of the Enteric Nervous System This 5-year project is a study of interactive signaling between the enteric nervous system (ENS), spinal sensory afferent nerves and enteric mast cells, with the guinea pig small intestine as the experimental model. The project tests a hypothesis, supported by preliminary data, that a positive feed-back signaling loop connecting spinal afferents, ENS neurons and enteric mast cells amplifies nociceptive and other forms of sensory input from the gut to the central nervous system. The information to be gained from this neurophysiological investigation of interactions between spinal afferents, ENS and enteric mast cells is basic for translational understanding of visceral hypersensitivity and the emerging recognition that functional abdominal pain can involve comorbidity of gut hypersensitivity with other pain syndromes elsewhere in the body (e.g., interstitial cystitis, prostatitis, vulvodynia, vulvar vestibulitis and fibromyalgia). The National Vulvodynia Association is a nonprofit organization that strives to improve women's lives through education, support, advocacy and research funding. The NVA is not a medical authority and strongly recommends that you consult your own health care provider regarding any course of treatment or medication. Last Updated on February 2, 2012 |
