Visceral hypersensitivity and pain result, at least in part, from increased excitability of primary afferents that innervate the colon. In addition to intrinsic changes in these neurons, emerging evidence indicates that changes in lining epithelial cells may also contribute to increased excitability. Here we review recent studies on how colon epithelial cells communicate directly with colon afferents. Specifically, anatomical studies revealed specialized synaptic connections between epithelial cells and nerve fibers and studies using optogenetic activation of the epithelium showed initiation of pain-like responses. We review the possible mechanisms of epithelial-neuronal communication and provide an overview of the possible neurotransmitters and receptors involved. Understanding the biology of this interface and how it changes in pathological conditions may provide new treatments for visceral pain conditions.

中文翻译：

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结肠中的上皮-神经元通讯：对内脏疼痛的影响

内脏过敏和疼痛至少部分是由于支配结肠的初级传入神经兴奋性增加所致。除了这些神经元的内在变化外，新出现的证据表明，内衬上皮细胞的变化也可能导致兴奋性增加。在这里，我们回顾了最近关于结肠上皮细胞如何与结肠传入细胞直接交流的研究。具体而言，解剖学研究揭示了上皮细胞和神经纤维之间的特殊突触连接，并且使用上皮光遗传学激活的研究显示了疼痛样反应的开始。我们回顾了上皮-神经元通讯的可能机制，并概述了可能涉及的神经递质和受体。