Decreased expression of serotonin in the jejunum and increased numbers of mast cells in the terminal ileum in patients with irritable bowel syndrome

Figure 3 The content of small intestinal mucosal 5-HT in IBS patients and the healthy controls. For each part, the 5-HT content in the IBS-C patients is lower than that in the healthy controls. The 5-HT content at the proximal end of jejunum shows a significant difference compared with that in the normal group (P < 0.05). The 5-HT content in the three groups at the descending part of duodenum are all significantly higher than that at the terminal ileum (P < 0.001). ^aP < 0.05 vs healthy controls. EC cell: Enterochromaffin cells; 5-HT: Serotonin; IBS: Irritable bowel syndrome; IBS-C: Constipation predominant IBS; IBS-D: Diarrhea predominant IBS.