Neurotransmitters involved in fast excitatory neurotransmission directly activate enteric glial cells.

Background: The intimate association between glial cells and neurons within the enteric nervous system has confounded careful examination of the direct responsiveness of enteric glia to different neuroligands. Therefore, we aimed to investigate whether neurotransmitters known to elicit fast excitatory potentials in enteric nerves also activate enteric glia directly.

Methods: We studied the effect of acetylcholine (ACh), serotonin (5-HT), and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) on intracellular Ca(2+) signaling using aequorin-expressing and Fluo-4 AM-loaded CRL-2690 rat and human enteric glial cell cultures devoid of neurons.

Early emergence of neural activity in the developing mouse enteric nervous system.

Neurons of the enteric nervous system (ENS) arise from neural crest cells that migrate into and along the developing gastrointestinal tract. A subpopulation of these neural-crest derived cells express pan-neuronal markers early in development, shortly after they first enter the gut. However, it is unknown whether these early enteric "neurons" are electrically active.

Cannabinoid receptor 1 signalling dampens activity and mitochondrial transport in networks of enteric neurones.

Cannabinoid (CB) receptors are expressed in the enteric nervous system (ENS) and CB(1) receptor activity slows down motility and delays gastric emptying. This receptor system has become an important target for GI-related drug development such as in obesity treatment. The aim of the study was to investigate how CB(1) ligands and antagonists affect ongoing activity in enteric neurone networks, modulate synaptic vesicle cycling and influence mitochondrial transport in nerve processes.

ATP-dependent paracrine communication between enteric neurons and glia in a primary cell culture derived from embryonic mice.

The importance of dynamic interactions between glia and neurons is increasingly recognized, both in the central and enteric nervous system. However, apart from their protective role, little is known about enteric neuro-glia interaction. The aim was to investigate neuro-glia intercellular communication in a mouse culture model using optical techniques.