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Serotonergic Mechanisms Regulating the GI Tract: Experimental Evidence and Therapeutic Relevance

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Gastrointestinal Pharmacology

Part of the book series: Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology ((HEP,volume 239))

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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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Natalie Terry

  2. Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, USA

    Kara Gross Margolis

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Correspondence to Kara Gross Margolis .

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  1. Health Sciences Center, The University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA

    Beverley Greenwood-Van Meerveld

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Terry, N., Margolis, K.G. (2016). Serotonergic Mechanisms Regulating the GI Tract: Experimental Evidence and Therapeutic Relevance. In: Greenwood-Van Meerveld, B. (eds) Gastrointestinal Pharmacology . Handbook of Experimental Pharmacology, vol 239. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/164_2016_103

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