Abstract
The treatment of irritable bowel syndrome due to the heterogeneous clinical symptoms and coexisting psychiatric disorders is still controversial. Although several agents with different mechanisms of action are widely used in clinical practice, there are only few drugs available with strong evidence of their efficacy, safety and tolerability at present. The etiology of irritable bowel syndrome is considered to be multifactorial: experimental and clinical research on visceral hypersensitivity, motility and brain-gut axis involving its neurotransmitters and receptors created the foundation of novel therapeutic approaches. Albeit nowadays several drugs (alosetron, tegaserod) have been registered in a few countries for the treatment of irritable bowel syndrome, further large clinical trials are required related to the new chemical entities.
MeSH terms
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Adrenergic alpha-Agonists / therapeutic use
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Analgesics, Opioid / therapeutic use
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Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
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Antidepressive Agents / therapeutic use
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Carbolines / therapeutic use
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Chloride Channel Agonists
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Cholecystokinin / antagonists & inhibitors
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Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone / antagonists & inhibitors
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Gastrointestinal Agents / therapeutic use*
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Humans
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Indoles / therapeutic use
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome / drug therapy*
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome / metabolism
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Irritable Bowel Syndrome / physiopathology
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Muscarinic Antagonists / therapeutic use
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Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists
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Neurotrophin 3 / therapeutic use
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Parasympatholytics / therapeutic use
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Probiotics / therapeutic use
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Receptors, Neurokinin-2 / antagonists & inhibitors
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Serotonin Agents / therapeutic use
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Somatostatin / analogs & derivatives
Substances
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Adrenergic alpha-Agonists
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Analgesics, Opioid
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Anti-Bacterial Agents
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Antidepressive Agents
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Carbolines
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Chloride Channel Agonists
-
Gastrointestinal Agents
-
Indoles
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Muscarinic Antagonists
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Neurokinin-1 Receptor Antagonists
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Neurotrophin 3
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Parasympatholytics
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Receptors, Neurokinin-2
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Serotonin Agents
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alosetron
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tegaserod
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Somatostatin
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Cholecystokinin
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Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone