Effects of the Autonomic Nervous System, Central Nervous System and Enteric Nervous System on Gastrointestinal Motility

The gastrointestinal tract is chiefly involved in the digestion of ingested food, facilitation of absorption process and expulsion of the undigested food material through motility process. Motility is influenced by neurohormonal system which is associated with the enteric nervous system , autonomic nervous system and the higher centres in the brain. Many GIT diseases are characterized by altered function of the neurohormonal system associated with it, leading to various functional disorders. Characterization of various physiological factors involved in motility may lead to the development of specific drugs which may either enhance or decrease motility in various pathological conditions. A number of clinically used drugs including metoclopromide, cisapride and domperidone alter gastrointestinal motility via the modification of neurohormonal system. Targets need to be identified in several places in the enteric nervous system to normalize the deranged activity of gastrointestinal tract. The ultimate goal in managing patients with gastrointestinal disorders is to relieve symptoms and thereby improve the quality of life. In this review article, an exhaustive literature search was carried out to reveal the potential of important physiological systems that regulate gastrointestinal motility.Keywords: Enteric nervous system, Intestine, gut, autonomic nervous systemEast and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 13 (2010) 50-5

Applications of Pharmacogenetics in Revealing Variations in Pharmacodynamics

In the past two decades many drugs were discovered through the developments taking place in molecular biology techniques. Drug action is now more defined. In addition to known pharmacogenetic variations on drug metabolism, variations in drug targets are also emerging. These targets include receptors, transporters, enzymes, channels and intracellular coupling processes. This review article presents the latest findings of genetic variations in pharmacological targets related to disorders of major systems such as central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and the respiratory system especially in relation to asthma and the HLA antigen genotype in hypersensitivity reactions.East and Central African Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences Vol. 12 (2009) 65-7