Sensory Innervation Of The Anal Region In Normal And Diabetic Guinea Pigs
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,389.00
Summary
Until something goes wrong, we take it for granted that we can empty our bowels on a regular basis, at a time and place of our choosing. Failure to achieve this is very distressing and substantially diminishes quality of life, if it occurs regularly. Disordered defecation, fecal incontinence and constipation are surprisingly common and their prevalence will continue to increase as our population ages and the incidence of diseases such as diabetes increases. In many people suffering these problem ....Until something goes wrong, we take it for granted that we can empty our bowels on a regular basis, at a time and place of our choosing. Failure to achieve this is very distressing and substantially diminishes quality of life, if it occurs regularly. Disordered defecation, fecal incontinence and constipation are surprisingly common and their prevalence will continue to increase as our population ages and the incidence of diseases such as diabetes increases. In many people suffering these problems, there is a detectable dysfunction of the sensory nerves in the anal region. These nerves supply information from the anal region to the spinal cord that can cause us to sense activity in our lower bowel and initiate defecation reflexes. These sensory pathways are important for clinical gastroenterology, but remarkably little is known about them. We are now able to investigate what it is the sensory nerves in the anal region sense, what they look like and where they go to in the spinal cord - in a single project. To do this we will use simple, but novel techniques that have been developed in this laboratory in an animal model. Once we know this, we will compare the function of sensory nerves in the anal region in diabetic animals with normal animals. This will give us insight into the role of sensory nerves in the development of fecal incontinence an unpleasant symptom for many people suffering advanced diabetes. My systematic approach will provide understanding of the basic cellular mechanisms and nerve pathways that underlie sensation in the anal region, helping both clinicians and patients understand the cause of defecatory disorders and potentially pointing the way to new therapies and strategies for diagnosis.Read moreRead less
Gastrointestinal Sensory Function In Normal And Diseased States
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$691,026.00
Summary
Chronic pain and discomfort from the digestive system is a major health care issue world-wide. There is currently no effective treatment for these problems, which often have no apparent organic cause. Lack of treatment is due to a lack of understanding about how sensations are transmitted from the digestive system to the brain. Our research group has unique and powerful techniques that allow us to probe the basic mechanisms of sensory function, and make rapid progress towards finding drugs that ....Chronic pain and discomfort from the digestive system is a major health care issue world-wide. There is currently no effective treatment for these problems, which often have no apparent organic cause. Lack of treatment is due to a lack of understanding about how sensations are transmitted from the digestive system to the brain. Our research group has unique and powerful techniques that allow us to probe the basic mechanisms of sensory function, and make rapid progress towards finding drugs that reduce specific types of sensory signals from the gut. We shall investigate sensory mechanisms in the upper and lower regions of the gut, where symptoms are most prevalent in diseases such as non-cardiac chest pain, functional dyspepsia and irritable bowel syndrome. Six aspects of sensory nerve endings in the gut are to be investigated: 1. The grouping of endings into functional classes (similar to touch or pressure receptors in skin) 2. How endings respond to chemicals and hormones found in the gut 3. How currently available drugs may be useful in reducing sensitivity 4. The mechanisms by which inflammation affects sensitivity 5. How nerve growth factors may trigger changes in sensitivity 6. How pores or channels in nerve endings determine their functionRead moreRead less
Reflex Control Of Human Jaw Muscles By Periodontal Mechanoreceptors
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$405,173.00
Summary
An understanding of the functional connection between the jaw muscles and various receptor organs in and around the mouth is necessary to elucidate the process of chewing and its underlying rules. Unless the details of this functional connection in health and disease are thoroughly understood, the diagnosis and treatment of chewing related disorders will remain at the present state. For example: a We still do not know why chewing in edentulous subjects is less efficient and why the bite forces i ....An understanding of the functional connection between the jaw muscles and various receptor organs in and around the mouth is necessary to elucidate the process of chewing and its underlying rules. Unless the details of this functional connection in health and disease are thoroughly understood, the diagnosis and treatment of chewing related disorders will remain at the present state. For example: a We still do not know why chewing in edentulous subjects is less efficient and why the bite forces in these individuals immediately fall to about 20 % of the teethed value. Do jaw muscles in these subjects get weak because they get less support from the receptor organs around the teeth? a We still do not understand the cause-causes of the temporomandibular dysfunction (a painful disease involving jaw muscles) which forms 18.7 % of total dental patients consulted per week in South Australia. This South Australian study indicated that the current treatments (such as pain killers, night plates, massage) Ocures? only about the half of all patients. We cannot increase the success of the treatment if we do not fully understand the control mechanisms of chewing? It is expected that the results of this study will establish the functional connection between one of the most important receptor organs in the mouth (periodontal mechanoreceptors) to the jaw muscle motoneurons in subjects with healthy teeth and gums and will illustrate the importance of keeping the periodontium healthy for developing strong and smooth masticatory forces. This knowledge can also allow us to treat jaw related disorders by approaches that bring back normal operation of the system. For example, this knowledge may help us design active dentures that replace the missing support.Read moreRead less