Skip to main content
. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2020 Sep 5.
Published in final edited form as: Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2020 Mar 9;17(6):338–351. doi: 10.1038/s41575-020-0271-2

Fig. 4: Possible mechanisms underlying the activation of two major classes of intrinsic sensory neuron in the ENS.

Fig. 4:

Dogiel type I neurons are mechanosensory and have been functionally identified as interneurons. These neurons also have fine nerve projections into the circular muscle, which could facilitate stretch sensitivity and connectivity with the circular muscle layer. Dogiel type II neurons have projections into the mucosa. They also have been shown to have fine varicose projections into the circular muscle layers. The functional role of enterochromaffin (EC) cells in the physiological activation of the nerve endings of these intrinsic sensory neurons is unknown but serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine; 5-HT) could have a role.