The Intestinal Microenvironment and Disorders of Gut–Brain Interaction

Abstract

The past decade has witnessed a tremendous profusion of data on the luminal contents of the gastrointestinal tract and their interactions with the host, many of which have been implicated in the pathophysiology of disorders of gut–brain interaction (DGBI). The role of food in DGBI-related symptoms has attracted much attention and although many alterations in gut microbiome composition have been described, the multitude of factors that confound study design and interpretation in DGBI has precluded the discovery of a specific microbial “signature.” The complexities of the gut barrier, its immune and enteroendocrine systems, so critical to the transmission of signals from lumen to host, continue to be revealed. Along the way, concepts such as the microbiome–gut–brain axis have emerged to explain symptom generation in DGBI, forming the basis for novel diagnostic approaches and therapeutic interventions. Taken together, recent research findings have renewed interest in luminal and enteric phenomena in DGBI.