title: Ion channels, ion channel receptors, and visceral hypersensitivity in irritable bowel syndrome.
abstract: Ion channels are expressed throughout the gastrointestinal system and regulate nearly every aspect of digestion, including fluid secretion and absorption, motility, and visceral sensitivity. It is therefore not surprising that in the setting of functional bowel disorders, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), ion channels are often altered in terms of expression level and function and are a target of pharmacological intervention. This is particularly true of their role in driving abdominal pain through visceral hypersensitivity (VH), which is the main reason IBS patients seek medical care. In the study by Scanzi et al., in the current issue of this journal, they provide evidence that the T-type voltage-gated calcium channel (Cav) Cav3.2 is upregulated in human IBS patients, and is necessary for the induction of an IBS-like disease state in mice. In this mini-review, we will discuss the contribution of specific ion channels to VH in IBS, both in human patients and rodent models. We will also discuss how Cav3.2 may play a role as an integrator of multiple environmental stimuli contributing toward VH.
authors: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA.
authors: I M
authors: IM
authors: Fuentes
authors: Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology, School of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City, KS, USA. jchristianson@kumc.edu.
authors: J A
authors: JA
authors: Christianson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D020747:Calcium Channels, T-Type / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007473:Ion Channels / Q000502:physiology; D043183:Irritable Bowel Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D017288:Pain Threshold / Q000502:physiology; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels / Q000502:physiology*; D059265:Visceral Pain / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: C479952:CACNA1H protein, human; D020747:Calcium Channels, T-Type; D007473:Ion Channels; D050916:TRPV Cation Channels
keywords: 
  TRP
  ; ion channels; irritable bowel syndrome; microbiome; serotonin; visceral hypersensitivity