The gut-brain and gut-macrophage contribution to gastrointestinal dysfunction with systemic inflammation.

The gastrointestinal tract is one of the main organs affected during systemic inflammation and disrupted gastrointestinal motility is a major clinical manifestation. Many studies have investigated the involvement of neuroimmune interactions in regulating colonic motility during localized colonic inflammation, i.e.

Faster Gastrointestinal Transit, Reduced Small Intestinal Smooth Muscle Tone and Dysmotility in the Mouse Model of Autism.

Individuals with autism often experience gastrointestinal issues but the cause is unknown. Many gene mutations that modify neuronal synapse function are associated with autism and therefore may impact the enteric nervous system that regulates gastrointestinal function. A missense mutation in the gene encoding the cell adhesion protein Neuroligin-3 was identified in two brothers with autism who both experienced severe gastrointestinal dysfunction.

Macrophage regulation of the "second brain": CD163 intestinal macrophages interact with inhibitory interneurons to regulate colonic motility - evidence from the rat model.

Intestinal macrophages are well-studied for their conventional roles in the immune response against pathogens and protecting the gut from chronic inflammation. However, these macrophages may also have additional functional roles in gastrointestinal motility under typical conditions. This is likely to occur via both direct and indirect influences on gastrointestinal motility through interaction with myenteric neurons that contribute to the gut-brain axis, but this mechanism is yet to be properly characterised.

Hyperimmune bovine colostrum containing lipopolysaccharide antibodies (IMM124-E) has a nondetrimental effect on gut microbial communities in unchallenged mice.

Enterotoxigenic (ETEC) is a leading cause of bacterial diarrhea with the potential to cause long-term gastrointestinal (GI) dysfunction. Preventative treatments for ETEC-induced diarrhea exist, yet the effects of these treatments on GI commensals in healthy individuals are unclear. Whether administration of a prophylactic preventative treatment for ETEC-induced diarrhea causes specific shifts in gut microbial populations in controlled environments is also unknown.

GutMap: A New Interface for Analysing Regional Motility Patterns in ex vivo Mouse Gastrointestinal Preparations.

Different regions of the gastrointestinal tract have specific functions and thus distinct motility patterns. Motility is primarily regulated by the enteric nervous system (ENS), an intrinsic network of neurons located within the gut wall. Under physiological conditions, the ENS is influenced by the central nervous system (CNS).