Rühl A, Nasser Y, Sharkey K A
Department of Human Biology, Technical University Munich, Freising-Weihenstephan, Germany.
Neurogastroenterol Motil. 2004 Apr;16 Suppl 1:44-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1743-3150.2004.00474.x.
The enteric nervous system is composed of both enteric neurones and enteric glia. Enteric glial cells were first described by Dogiel and are now known to outnumber neurones approximately 4 : 1. In the past, these cells were assumed to subserve a largely supportive role; however, recent evidence indicates that enteric glial cells may play a more active role in the control of gut function. In transgenic mouse models, where enteric glial cells are selectively ablated, the loss of glia results in intestinal inflammation and disruption of the epithelial barrier. Enteric glia are activated specifically by inflammatory insults and may contribute actively to inflammatory pathology via antigen presentation and cytokine synthesis. Enteric glia also express receptors for neurotransmitters and so may serve as intermediaries in enteric neurotransmission. Thus, enteric glia may serve as a link between the nervous and immune systems of the gut and may also have an important role in maintaining the integrity of the mucosal barrier and in other aspects of intestinal homeostasis.
肠神经系统由肠神经元和肠胶质细胞组成。肠胶质细胞最早由多吉尔描述，现在已知其数量大约是神经元的4倍。过去，这些细胞被认为主要起支持作用；然而，最近的证据表明，肠胶质细胞在肠道功能控制中可能发挥更积极的作用。在转基因小鼠模型中，肠胶质细胞被选择性消融，胶质细胞的缺失会导致肠道炎症和上皮屏障的破坏。肠胶质细胞会被炎症刺激特异性激活，并可能通过抗原呈递和细胞因子合成积极参与炎症病理过程。肠胶质细胞还表达神经递质受体，因此可能在肠神经传递中充当媒介。因此，肠胶质细胞可能是肠道神经系统和免疫系统之间的联系纽带，在维持黏膜屏障完整性及肠道内稳态的其他方面也可能发挥重要作用。
