Gastrointestinal parasites and the neural control of gut functions

• Main Authors: Marie Christiane Halliez, Andre Gerald Buret
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2015-11-01
• Series: Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience
• Subjects: Absorption; Enteric Nervous System; Giardia; motility; secretion; Gastrointestinal parasites
• Online Access: http://journal.frontiersin.org/Journal/10.3389/fncel.2015.00452/full

Gastrointestinal motility and transport of water and electrolytes play key roles in the pathophysiology of diarrhea upon exposure to enteric parasites. These processes are actively modulated by the enteric nervous system (ENS), which includes efferent, and afferent neurons, as well as interneurons. ENS integrity is essential to the maintenance of homeostatic gut responses. A number of gastrointestinal parasites are known to cause disease by altering the enteric nervous system. The mechanisms remain incompletely understood. Cryptosporidium parvum, Giardia duodenalis (syn. G. intestinalis, G. lamblia), Trypanosoma cruzi, Schistosoma sp and others alter gastrointestinal motility, absorption, or secretion at least in part via effects on the ENS. Recent findings also implicate enteric parasites such as Cryptosporidium parvum and Giardia duodenalis in the development of post-infectious complications such as irritable bowel syndrome, which further underscores their effects on the gut-brain axis. This article critically reviews recent advances and the current state of knowledge on the impact of enteric parasitism on the neural control of gut functions, and provides insights into mechanisms underlying these abnormalities.