P2X3 Receptors Mediate Visceral Hypersensitivity during Acute Chemically-Induced Colitis and in the Post-Inflammatory Phase via Different Mechanisms of Sensitization

These findings indicate that P2X3 receptors are not involved in sensory signaling under physiological conditions whereas they modulate visceral hypersensitivity during acute TNBS-colitis and even more so in the post-inflammatory phase, albeit via different mechanisms of sensitization, validating P2X3 receptors as potential new targets in the treatment of abdominal pain syndromes.