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Serotonergic Mechanisms Regulating the GI Tract: Experimental Evidence and Therapeutic Relevance
Natalie Terry1, Kara Gross Margolis2
1Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA.
Abstract:
Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) is best known as a neurotransmitter critical for central nervous system (CNS) development and function. 95% of the body's serotonin, however, is produced in the intestine where it has been increasingly recognized for its hormonal, autocrine, paracrine, and endocrine actions. This chapter provides the most current knowledge of the critical autocrine and paracrine roles of 5-HT in intestinal motility and inflammation as well as its function as a hormone in osteocyte homeostasis. Therapeutic applications in each of these areas are also discussed.
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