Visceral afferents — Determinants and modulation of excitability

An essential property of visceral sensory afferents is to be able to alter their firing properties in response to changes in the microenvironment at the level of the sensory ending. Significant progress has been made in recent years in understanding the ionic mechanisms of the regulation of afferent neuronal excitability, and in identifying the mechanisms by which this can be altered. This article will review some of the recent developments in the state of knowledge regarding mechanisms of increased excitability after inflammation, and pharmacological modulation of excitability, concentrating on afferent nerves innervating the GI tract and urinary bladder.