Evidence mapPaperPMID 41721075Full record

ArticleNature microbiology2026

Gut microbial ammonia enhances colonic acetylcholine levels to regulate intestinal motility.

Hao Chen, Zhen Wang, Yiming Zhao, Wenyu Yang, Jing Huang, Zheng Yu

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in Nature microbiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

6 authors.

Hao Chen *Human Microbiome and Health Group, Department of Microbiology, Xiangya School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Zhen Wang *Human Microbiome and Health Group, Department of Microbiology, Xiangya School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Yiming ZhaoHuman Microbiome and Health Group, Department of Microbiology, Xiangya School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Wenyu YangHuman Microbiome and Health Group, Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Jing HuangHuman Microbiome and Health Group, Department of Parasitology, Xiangya School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China.
Zheng YuHuman Microbiome and Health Group, Department of Microbiology, Xiangya School of Basic Medical Sciences, Central South University, Changsha, China. yuzheng@csu.edu.cn.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-7366-3946

Funding

National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32170071National Natural Science Foundation of China (National Science Foundation of China) 32300051Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation) 2023JJ30651Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province (Hunan Provincial Natural Science Foundation) 2025JJ50101
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Intestinal motility is a function of the enteric nervous system involving secretion of the excitatory neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh). Although gut commensal bacteria are key regulators of intestinal physiology, the molecular mechanisms underlying microbial influence on intestinal peristalsis and constipation remain unclear. Here we report a link between microbial nitrogen metabolism and intestinal motility regulation via ammonia production. We observed compensatory elevation of intestinal ammonia levels and urease activity in mouse models of intestinal dysmotility, induced by ACh deficiency, and in patients with constipation. Ammonia supplementation or intervention in mice with the urease-positive Lysinibacillus fusiformis isolated from patient stool, or engineered urease-expressing bacteria, effectively restored colonic ACh levels. In vitro, ammonia upregulated the expression of voltage-gated calcium channels on enteric neurons, driving Ca

Indexed as

AcetylcholineAmmoniaColonGastrointestinal MicrobiomeGastrointestinal MotilityAnimalsConstipationDisease Models, AnimalFemaleHumansMaleMiceMice, Inbred C57BLUreaseAcetylcholineAmmoniaUrease

Identifiers

PMID41721075

What Socratic holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.