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[Gut nutrient sensing by the abdominal vagus].
Hisayuki Uneyama1, Tatsuro Tanaka, Kunio Torii
1Institute of Life Sciences, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Kawasaki 210-8681, Japan. hisayuki_uneyama@ajinomoto.com
Nihon Yakurigaku Zasshi. Folia Pharmacologica Japonica
|October 7, 2004
Summary
Animals may detect food's nutritional content via cephalic signals, initiating digestion. Gut nutrient sensing by the abdominal vagus may utilize serotonin (5-HT) from enterochromaffin cells as a key transmitter.
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Neuroscience
- Gastroenterology
Context:
- Gustatory and cephalic stimuli provide nutritional information, aiding digestion.
- The abdominal vagus nerve transmits digestive system signals to the brain.
- The role of mucosal serotonin (5-HT) in the gut is not fully understood.
Purpose:
- To review advances in gut nutrient perception.
- To propose a hypothesis on the role of enterochromaffin cell-derived 5-HT in nutrient sensing.
Summary:
- Nutrient detection via cephalic stimuli and the abdominal vagus facilitates digestion.
- Enterochromaffin (EC) cells in the gut contain most of the body's serotonin (5-HT).
- Hypothesizes that 5-HT from EC cells acts as a general transmitter for abdominal vagus nutrient sensing.
Impact:
- Elucidates the physiological significance of mucosal 5-HT in nutrient sensing.
- Provides a novel hypothesis for understanding gut-brain communication in digestion.
- Highlights the role of serotonin in mediating nutritional information from the gut.