Bush Beats Vol-3, No-3, 2017

It is now a well-known fact that the gastrointestinal tract is in constant communication with the brain through a bidirectional construct, which is known as the “brain-gut axis”. This bi-directional axis is crucial for aintaining the gastrointestinal homeostasis, being regulated through diverse neural, endocrine and neuroimmunological pathways. In this brain-gut communication, autonomic nervous system (ANS) is the prime regulator, with mixed afferent and efferent components. At the peripheral end of this axis; there is enteric nervous system, located in the gut wall with a rich supply of sensory and motor nerves, which regulates local control of several intestinal functions. Neural inputs originating from the gut are relayed to brain through ANS, where they are integrated around several brain regions, including the hypothalamus, limbic system and the cerebral cortex. In response to the neural inputs, these organs induce modifications in the ANS signaling and changes in hypothalamic-pituitaryadrenal (HPA) axis, thereby resulting in appropriate alteration in the gut function. In all, this bidirectional communication between the gut and the brain plays important role in maintaining the tate of homeostasis under normal physiological conditions.

Renal stone disease has been known as a very common disorder for centuries, and is increasingly prevalent even in recent times.1,2 Indeed, renal stone formation has become a global problem, which spares no geographical, cultural, or racial groups. Stone disease affect 5-15% of the population worldwide and are the third most common disorder of the urinary tract, preceded only by the urinary tract infections and prostate diseases. In India, almost 5-7 million individuals suffer from stone disease and at least 1/1000 of Indian population requires hospitalization due to renal calculi. Renal calculi are more common in adults compared to the elderly, and are the least common in pediatric population; the age of peak incidence ranges from 20 to 40 years. It is two to three times more common in men than in women, with a lifetime risk of about 12% in men and 6% in women.1,2,5 Lately, the male predominance of stone disease seems declining, and a new trend seems to be the increased incidence of stone formation in women. Renal calculi continue to be more common in men; however, the incidence rate ratio of men to women with urinary tract calculi has narrowed from 3.4 to 1.3...