Parkinson's disease (PD) and dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) are characterized by abnormal deposition of α-synuclein aggregates in many regions of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Accumulating evidence suggests that the α-synuclein pathology initiates in a few discrete regions and spreads to larger areas in the nervous system. Recent pathological studies of PD patients have raised th...

The enteric nervous system has been studied thus far as an isolated unit. As researchers probe deeper into the function of this system, it is evident that the neural network stretches beyond enteric neurons. It is formed by both intrinsic and extrinsic neurons innervating the gut, enteric glia, and innervated sensory epithelial cells, such as enteroendocrine cells. This Review series summarizes...

BACKGROUND Enteric nervous system abnormalities have been described in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. However, the mechanisms responsible for these abnormalities remain to date largely unknown. AIMS We investigated the potential role of apoptotic phenomena in enteric neurons and enteroglial cells in patients with inflammatory bowel diseases. PATIENTS AND METHODS Full-thickness s...

Central nervous system involvement is not uncommonly seen in patients with enteric fever. However, acute cerebellar ataxia as an isolated neurological complication of enteric fever is very rare. We report a patient with blood culture proven enteric fever who developed acute cerebellar syndrome during the first week of illness. Following treatment with appropriate antibiotics, patient showed com...

Disruptions of the genes encoding endothelin 3 (EDN3) and its receptor endothelin-B receptor (EDNRB) in the mouse result in defects of two neural crest (NC)-derived lineages, the melanocytes, and the enteric nervous system. To assess the mechanisms through which the EDN3/EDNRB signaling pathway can selectively act on these NC derivatives, we have studied the spatiotemporal expression pattern of...