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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2013 Nov 5.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2009 May;6(5):10.1038/nrgastro.2009.35. doi: 10.1038/nrgastro.2009.35

Figure 4.

Figure 4

Schematic representation of endocrine cell-mediated signaling from enteric microbiota to host. Presence of bacteria or their secretory products in the gut lumen might influence endocrine cells in the epithelium (e.g. enterochromaffin cells). Hormones released by the bacteria-stimulated enterochromaffin cells can influence host function by entering circulation and by direct endocrine communication with immunocytes (blue), which would affect immune response and terminals of visceral afferent nerves (red). Abbreviations: CNS, central nervous system; ECC, enterochromaffin cell. Permission obtained from Elsevier © Furness, J. B. & Clerc, N. Responses of afferent neurons to the contents of the digestive tract, and their relation to endocrine and immune responses. Prog. Brain Res. 122, 159–172 (2000).