Echinoderms are one of the most important groups of metazoans from the point of view of evolution, ecology and abundance. Nevertheless, their nervous system has been little studied. Particularly unexplored have been the components of the nervous system that lie outside the ectoneural and hyponeural divisions of the main nerve ring and radial nerve cords. We have gathered information on the nerv...

The enteric nervous system is an independent nervous system that controls vital gut functions including motility and secretion. Enteric neurons use a variety of neurotransmitters to modulate neural as well as muscle and epithelial activity. Among them are three gaseous mediators which are nitric oxide (NO), carbon monoxide (CO) and hydrogen sulphide (H2S). All three have potent inhibitory effec...

Development of the ENS requires the function of a diverse set of genes encoding transcription factors, signaling molecules, and their receptors. Mutations of these genes result in altered ENS function in animals and humans. In particular, such mutations have been shown to contribute to many cases of Hirschsprung's disease. Elucidation of the mechanisms of ENS development and function allow the ...

INTRODUCTION After surgical repair of gastroschisis, most neonates exhibit severe intestinal dysmotility. We hypothesized that impaired development of the enteric nervous system or interstitial cells of Cajal (ICC) network contributes to impaired intestinal motility in gastroschisis. We evaluated this hypothesis in a rat model of gastroschisis. MATERIAL AND METHODS Gastroschisis was created s...

gamma-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is a transmitter of enteric interneurons, targeting excitatory GABA(A) or inhibitory GABA(B) receptors that modulate motility and mucosal function. Enteric GABA may also subserve hormonal and paracrine signaling. Disruption in gastrointestinal function following perturbation of enteric GABA receptors presents potential new target sites for drug development.