Cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator modulates enteric cholinergic activities and is abnormally expressed in the enteric ganglia of patients with slow transit constipation.

Co-localization of CFTR-IR with cholinergic markers, inhibition of EFS-induced colonic muscle contractility and ACh release by CFTR(inh)-172 suggest that CFTR modulates enteric cholinergic neurotransmission. The downregulation of CFTR and ChAT in myenteric ganglia of STC correlated with the impaired contractile responses to EFS.