Glial cells in the gut represent the morphological and functional equivalent of astrocytes and microglia in the central nervous system (CNS). In recent years, the role of enteric glial cells (EGCs) has extended from that of simple nutritive support for enteric neurons to that of being pivotal participants in the regulation of inflammatory events in the gut. Similar to the CNS astrocytes, the EGCs physiologically express the S100B protein that exerts either trophic or toxic effects depending on its concentration in the extracellular milieu. In the CNS, S100B overexpression is responsible for the initiation of a gliotic reaction by the release of pro-inflammatory mediators, which may have a deleterious effect on neighboring cells. S100B-mediated pro-inflammatory effects are not limited to the brain: S100B overexpression is associated with the onset and maintenance of inflammation in the human gut too. In this review we describe the major features of EGCs and S100B protein occurring in intestinal inflammation deriving from such.
Keywords: Enteric glial cells; Intestinal diseases; Nitric oxide.