Prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) is found throughout the gastrointestinal tract in a diverse variety of functions and roles. The recent discovery of four PGE₂ receptor subtypes in intestinal muscle layers as well as in the enteric plexus has led to much interest in the study of their roles in gut motility. Gut dysmotility has been implicated in functional disease processes including irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and slow transit constipation, and lubiprostone, a PGE₂ derivative, has recently been licensed to treat both conditions.

The diversity of actions of PGE₂ in the intestinal tract is attributed to its differing effects on its downstream receptor types, as well as their varied distribution in the gut, in both health and disease. This review aims to identify the role and distribution of PGE₂ receptors in the intestinal tract, and aims to elucidate their distinct role in gut motor function, with a specific focus on functional intestinal pathologies.

前列腺素 E ₂ (PGE ₂ ) 遍布整个胃肠道，具有多种功能和作用。最近在肠肌肉层和肠神经丛中发现的四种 PGE ₂受体亚型引起了人们对它们在肠道运动中作用的研究的极大兴趣。肠道动力障碍与肠易激综合征 (IBS) 和慢传输性便秘等功能性疾病过程有关，而 PGE ₂衍生物鲁比前列酮最近已获准治疗这两种疾病。

PGE ₂在肠道中作用的多样性归因于其对下游受体类型的不同影响，以及它们在肠道中的不同分布，包括健康和疾病。本综述旨在确定 PGE ₂受体在肠道中的作用和分布，旨在阐明它们在肠道运动功能中的独特作用，特别关注功能性肠道病理。