Role of vasoactive intestinal peptide and inflammatory mediators in enteric neuronal plasticity.
Complex circuits involving both local intrinsic neurones (i.e. enteric nervous system; ENS) and extrinsic neurones achieve nervous control of digestive functions. The ENS is comprised of many functionally different types of neurons: sensory neurons, interneurons and secreto-motor neurons. Each neuronal population is required to manifest local reflex behavior and is central to the regulation of bot