Mucosal Disorders and Functional Mucosal Syndrome™

The Mammalian GI Tract

In of most mammals, the GI tract is an open and vulnerable system. Whatever is consumed orally is obliged to pass through the entire GI tract. The GI tract is tasked with the responsibility of

• 1. Deconstructing ingestants into nutrients (digestion),
• 2. Absorbing nutrients into the bloodstream for delivery to the liver (assimilation)
• 3. Discarding packaging that once carried nutrients (waste elimination)
• 4. But besides these three major functions, the GI tract is also tasked with defense.

It must also defend itself (and the rest of the organism) from clinical dangers of harmful materials ingested unknowingly.

Mucosal Mediation of All GI Functions
All four of these functions are mediated through one layer of the GI tract, the mucosal lining. The mucosal lining is not only responsible for digestion, absorption and elimination; it is also responsible for mounting a defense against injury. This defense must be adequate against physical injury, chemical injury (acid, bile, toxins) or infectious injury (viral, bacterial, protozoan).

Mucosal Defense: A Measured & Balanced Offense
Mucosal defense is measured and balanced offense with counter-balancing mechanisms designed to mitigate nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating and colic. However these counter-balancing mechanisms do not always work as well at they should. First, to rid itself of unwanted injury or attack the GI tract uses nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, ileus and at times bloating and cramping. Since prior to 2006, we have called these actions of mucosal defense - Functional Mucosal Syndrome™ or FMS. From the start of defensive actions, counterbalancing mechanisms are activated. Simultaneously with FMS, the GI tract counterbalances these defensive actions with a mucosal system design to reverse or mitigate symptoms. By having such a system design to revere or minimize symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and ileus, the mammalian mucosal defense is measured and balanced.

Functional Mucosal Syndrome™ (FMS)
FMS is a mucosal mediated defense of the gut to minimize or reverse injury, regardless of whether injury is physical, chemical or infectious. Mucosa-mediated nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, colic, cramping, ileus and bloating is the Functional Mucosal Syndrome™. The mucosa itself mediates these actions which then lead to GI dysfunction.

Mucosal Mediation Requiring Gastrointestinal Protection
All of these actions - defensive as well as the counterbalance to defense - are mediated by the mucosa. There actions are genetically-controlled through an array of mucosal cells and receptor-sets supplemented by submucosal cells with their receptors. Together these orchestrate both defense and the counterbalance of defensive actions. GI counterbalance is governed by growth factors (eg FGF, EGF, TGF), their receptors (EGFr,) and other mucosal gated nociceptors that are in turn innervated by C-fiber neurons. Without effective counterbalance the patient is faced with dehydration, worsening infection and at times even death. Some injuries are so virulent that counterbalancing the defensive actions are nearly impossible. Supportive rehydration and the use of a GI mucosal protectant are required!

Veterinary Gastrafate® is a GI mucosal protectant that supports the counter-balancing actions of growth factors (eg FGF, EGF, TGF), their receptors (EGFr,) and other mucosal gated nociceptors innevated by C-fiber neurons.