PATHOPHYSIOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY OF SMALL-INTESTINAL MOTILITY

Tremendous progress continues in the area of small bowel motility and pharmacology. Our understanding of small bowel motility has been furth er advanced over the past year with studies examining the role of vari ous mediators of gastrointestinal physiology. Additional new evidence supports the role of nitric oxide as a key intracellular messenger for nonadrenergic, noncholinergic inhibition of the gastrointestinal trac t. Our ability to more accurately define motor abnormalities of the sm all bowel has been expanded with new diagnostic techniques. There has also been greater delineation of the small bowel motility abnormalitie s that exist in a number of pathologic conditions. Our therapeutic opt ions have increased as progress in pharmacologic therapy for small bow el dysmotility continues to be advanced.