Mechanisms of action of neurochemicals and modulators in human intestine: changes in disease

Funding Activity

Website
http://purl.org/au-research/grants/nhmrc/222739

Funding Status
Closed

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Funded Activity Summary

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and idiopathic chronic constipation (ICC) are two serious gastrointestinal disorders, for which no effective medical treatment is known. We will investigate the hypothesis that abnormalities in the nerve chemicals found in the gut contribute to the aetiology of these diseases. Our studies will examine the sites of action (receptors) for these chemicals (neurotensin and acetylcholine) in the small and large intestine. The mechanisms governing motility changes in response to these chemicals have been well studied in animal intestine, but there is little detailed information from the human intestine. This study will provide insight into the mechanisms operating in the normal bowel, providing a base for comparing bowel obtained from patients with IBD or ICC. We will also study bowel removed at surgery for acute diverticular disease (DD), representing another type of inflammation. Studies on isolated segments of colon from ICC patients will determine whether the contractility of the muscle is abnormal in general or only with respect to the chemicals under investigation. Other studies will investigate the inflammatory processes occurring in the bowel and whether this differs in IBD. Our work will facilitate understanding of the function of the bowel in health and in gastrointestinal disorders and may lead to new medical treatments for IBD and ICC.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2003

End Date: 01-01-2005

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $442,500.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Medical biochemistry - carbohydrates

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

autonomic ganglia | bowel contractions | diverticulitis | inflammatory bowel disease | muscarinic receptors | neurotensin | receptors | slow transit constipation | smooth muscle | ulcerative colitis

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