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Mast cells cause nerves to sprout in patients with IBS

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 12, page 189 (2015)Cite this article

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Infiltration of mast cells in the colonic mucosa of patients with IBS promote neuronal sprouting owing to the release of nerve growth factor (NGF), according to research published in Gastroenterology.

In previous studies, Giovanni Barbara and colleagues had demonstrated that the proximity of mast cells to enteric nerves correlated with abdominal pain in patients with IBS. In addition, they demonstrated that acute exposure of nerves to factors released from patients' colonic tissue altered neuronal activity. “We suspected that the chronic release of factors could affect the enteric nervous system and sensory fibres in a more structural way,” explains Barbara.

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References

  1. Dothel, G. et al. Nerve fiber outgrowth is increased in the intestinal mucosa of patients with irritable bowel syndrome. Gastroenterology 10.1053/j.gastro.2015.01.042

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Authors
  1. Gillian Patman
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Patman, G. Mast cells cause nerves to sprout in patients with IBS. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 12, 189 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrgastro.2015.30

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