Sensory innervation of the anal region in normal and diabetic guinea pigs

Funded Activity 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 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.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2006

End Date: 01-01-2008

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $372,389.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Peripheral Nervous System

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

There are no SEO codes available for this funding activity

Other Keywords

anal sensation | defecation reflexes | diabetic neuropathy | disordered defecation | extrinsic mechanoreceptors | fecal incontinence | gastrointestinal motility | intestinal sensory nerves | postpartum neuropathy | sensation from the gut

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