title: 5-HT in the enteric nervous system: gut function and neuropharmacology.
abstract: In recent times, the perception of functional gastrointestinal disorders such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) has shifted fundamentally. Such disorders are now thought of as serious diseases characterized by perturbations in the neuronal regulation of gastrointestinal function. The concept of visceral hypersensitivity, the characterization of neuronal networks in the 'brain-gut axis' and the identification of several novel 5-HT-mediated mechanisms have contributed to this shift. Here, we review how some of the more promising of these new mechanisms (e.g. those involving 5-HT transporters and the 5-HT(2B), 5-HT(7) and putative 5-HT(1p) receptors) might lead to a range of second-generation therapies that could revolutionize the treatment of functional gastrointestinal disorders, particularly IBS.
authors.affiliation: Neurology and Gastrointestinal Centre of Excellence for Drug Discovery, GlaxoSmithKline, New Frontiers Science Park, Third Avenue, Harlow, Essex CM19 5AW, UK.
authors.forename: Peter G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: McLean
authors.forename: Richard A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Borman
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017615:Enteric Nervous System / Q000378:metabolism*; D005767:Gastrointestinal Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D009480:Neuropharmacology; D012701:Serotonin / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D012701:Serotonin