VIP in HIV Diarrhea: Finding Links for the “Slim Disease”

HSV1/2 Genital Infection in Mice Cause Reversible Delayed Gastrointestinal Transit: A Model for Enteric Myopathy

“…These “sildenafil response” proteins prevent degradation of the nitric oxide generated cyclic GMP (cGMP) and enhance activity of its downstream effectors, the key response elements to enteric nitrergic neuromuscular neurotransmission ( 37 – 39 ). It is increasingly identified that inhibitory nitrergic neurotransmission is the final common pathway mediating gastrointestinal motility ( 35 – 40 ). Thus, it is no surprise that the constipation like phenotype due to HSV1 infection may arise due to impairment in the myenteric nitrergic neurotransmission pathways by affecting both prejunctional and post-junctional mechanisms.…”

“…The authors rightly bring out the increasing significance of the HSV1 causing genital infections ( 1 , 50 ). This may be due to changing tropism of the viruses, as well as prevalent sexual practices like “putting mouth on the genital area of the sexual partner,” thus causing exchange of local viruses ( 40 , 51 ). Importantly, these viral infections can flare up in conditions of suppressed immunity, including pre-existing HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) or other STIs (sexually transmitted infections), pregnancy, use of corticosteroids or immune suppression due to diabetes, treatment of cancer, post-transplantation or auto-immune diseases ( 52 – 54 ).…”

“…The gastrointestinal tract has a massive immune surveillance system due to the challenges of microbes consumed through ingested food. Increasingly, with sexual preferences like sodomy practiced during MSM (men sex with men), the outlet of the gastrointestinal tract is faced with an ever-increasing challenge of tackling microrganisms including viruses ( 40 , 69 ). Most often, the distal immune system will tackle these infectious agents.…”