Guanylyl cyclase C ameliorates visceral pain: an unsuspected link

Visceral pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome afflicts 15% of the US population. Although treatments are limited, guanylyl cyclase C (GUCY2C) agonists alleviate pain and constipation. Until now, it was assumed that the activation of GUCY2C and production of cGMP in enterocytes stimulated fl...

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Main Author: Rodger A. Liddle
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Society for Clinical Investigation 2023-02-01
Series:The Journal of Clinical Investigation
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI166703
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author Rodger A. Liddle
author_facet Rodger A. Liddle
author_sort Rodger A. Liddle
collection DOAJ
description Visceral pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome afflicts 15% of the US population. Although treatments are limited, guanylyl cyclase C (GUCY2C) agonists alleviate pain and constipation. Until now, it was assumed that the activation of GUCY2C and production of cGMP in enterocytes stimulated fluid secretion and reduced visceral sensation. The recent discovery that a subtype of enteroendocrine cells (EECs) known as neuropod cells synapse with submucosal neurons unveiled a pathway for communicating gut signals to the nervous system. In this issue of the JCI, Barton et al. report that GUCY2C is enriched in neuropod cells and is involved with sensory nerve firing. Selective deletion of GUCY2C in mouse models suggests that defective GUCY2C neuropod–cell signaling underlies visceral pain. These studies introduce possibilities for dissociating the secretory and analgesic effects of GUCY2C agonism. Although further work remains, unveiling the role of neuropod cells is a major step in understanding visceral pain.
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spelling doaj.art-3824a2f8d8444b5d87284c8fd2fde29c2023-11-07T16:19:57ZengAmerican Society for Clinical InvestigationThe Journal of Clinical Investigation1558-82382023-02-011334Guanylyl cyclase C ameliorates visceral pain: an unsuspected linkRodger A. LiddleVisceral pain associated with irritable bowel syndrome afflicts 15% of the US population. Although treatments are limited, guanylyl cyclase C (GUCY2C) agonists alleviate pain and constipation. Until now, it was assumed that the activation of GUCY2C and production of cGMP in enterocytes stimulated fluid secretion and reduced visceral sensation. The recent discovery that a subtype of enteroendocrine cells (EECs) known as neuropod cells synapse with submucosal neurons unveiled a pathway for communicating gut signals to the nervous system. In this issue of the JCI, Barton et al. report that GUCY2C is enriched in neuropod cells and is involved with sensory nerve firing. Selective deletion of GUCY2C in mouse models suggests that defective GUCY2C neuropod–cell signaling underlies visceral pain. These studies introduce possibilities for dissociating the secretory and analgesic effects of GUCY2C agonism. Although further work remains, unveiling the role of neuropod cells is a major step in understanding visceral pain.https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI166703
spellingShingle Rodger A. Liddle
Guanylyl cyclase C ameliorates visceral pain: an unsuspected link
The Journal of Clinical Investigation
title Guanylyl cyclase C ameliorates visceral pain: an unsuspected link
title_full Guanylyl cyclase C ameliorates visceral pain: an unsuspected link
title_fullStr Guanylyl cyclase C ameliorates visceral pain: an unsuspected link
title_full_unstemmed Guanylyl cyclase C ameliorates visceral pain: an unsuspected link
title_short Guanylyl cyclase C ameliorates visceral pain: an unsuspected link
title_sort guanylyl cyclase c ameliorates visceral pain an unsuspected link
url https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI166703
work_keys_str_mv AT rodgeraliddle guanylylcyclasecamelioratesvisceralpainanunsuspectedlink