The gastrointestinal tract is innervated by its own enteric nervous system and by extrinsic neurons that connect it with the central nervous system. Innervation allows the gastrointestinal tract to sense and respond to diverse stimuli, adjusting motility and secretion, but also affecting our physiology, behaviour and immunity. The mechanisms underlying the formation of gastrointestinal neurons are beginning to be elucidated; those that keep them plastic over an organism's lifetime remain to be explored. Here, we review the effects of microbiota, nutrients, sex and ageing on the morphology and function of gastrointestinal innervation in mammals, and discuss how this plasticity shapes gut-brain crosstalk and whole-body physiology. We also highlight insights gained by nascent studies of the enteric innervation of Drosophila melanogaster.

中文翻译：

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食物、微生物、性别和老年：胃肠神经支配的可塑性。


胃肠道由其自身的肠神经系统以及将其与中枢神经系统连接的外在神经元支配。神经支配使胃肠道能够感知和响应不同的刺激，调整蠕动和分泌，同时也影响我们的生理、行为和免疫力。胃肠神经元形成的机制已开始被阐明；那些使它们在生物体的一生中保持可塑性的方法仍有待探索。在这里，我们回顾了微生物群、营养物质、性别和衰老对哺乳动物胃肠神经支配的形态和功能的影响，并讨论了这种可塑性如何影响肠脑串扰和全身生理学。我们还强调了对果蝇肠道神经支配的新兴研究所获得的见解。