Enteric and Central Nervous System Mediated Control of Digestive Processes in the Small Intestine: a Coprocessor-Processor Paradigm

The small intestine is part of the gastrointestinal tract that facilitates further breakdown of the meal, extract the nutrients, absorb them efficiently and expel the left over remains of the digesta. They help in managing various digestive processes that involve buffering of the chyme, mixing with small intestinal secretions and bile, absorption and transport. In general, the small intestine functions as a bioreactor in an efficient way by employing neurohormonal means for regulating the digestive processes. Part of the regulatory functions involving-eliciting motility patterns, control of secretions and emptying of the bowels are locally mediated by the enteric reflexes, however the physiological functions demanding homeostasis requires the intervention of the central nervous system. In this review, we explore the nature of regulating mechanisms that are managed partly by the enteric nervous system (ENS) as analogous to a coprocessor and works in conjunction with the central nervous system (CNS), the primary processor to manage the extensive task of digesting the meal.