Enteric Neural Regulation of Mucosal Secretion

Abstract

Secretion and absorption of water and salt are essential for digestion, absorption of food, and the mucosal barrier that separates gut microbes from the rest of the body. It is under multiple levels of control including a major set of neural circuits within the enteric nervous system, the subject of this chapter. Neural control of secretion is via secretomotor neurons, which release vasoactive intestinal peptide, acetylcholine, or both depending on the region, the stimulus, and the species. Intrinsic sensory neurons that respond to changes within the muscle wall and to the chemical environment within the lumen, including nutrients and pathogens, activate the secretomotor pathways and appear ..