title: Nerves and Intestinal Mast Cells Modulate Responses to Enterotoxins.
abstract: Experiments in intact animals exposed to enterotoxins demonstrate that neurons and immune cells of the lamina propria regulate toxin-induced diarrhea and tissue damage. Clostridium difficile toxins cause profound diarrhea and acute inflammation by activating a complex cascade initiated by toxin binding to enterocyte receptors.
authors.affiliation: Division of Gastroenterology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, 330 Brookline Ave., Boston MA 02215, USA.
authors.forename: Charalabos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pothoulakis
authors.forename: Ignazio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Castagliuolo
authors.forename: J. Thomas
authors.initials: JT
authors.lastname: LaMont