Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 10, 2026

Real-time Analysis of Gut-brain Neural Communication: Cortex wide Calcium Dynamics in Response to Intestinal Glucose Stimulation
07:29

Real-time Analysis of Gut-brain Neural Communication: Cortex wide Calcium Dynamics in Response to Intestinal Glucose Stimulation

Published on: December 29, 2023

Mechanisms of CCK signaling from gut to brain

Helen E Raybould1

  • 1Department of Vet Med: Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology (APC), UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, Davis, CA 95616, USA. heraybould@ucdavis.edu

Current Opinion in Pharmacology
|October 24, 2007
PubMed

Insights

Cholecystokinin (CCK) plays a complex role in regulating food intake and body weight. CCK influences vagal afferent neurons, impacting appetite and activating anti-inflammatory pathways.

Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Gastroenterology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Peripheral cholecystokinin (CCK) injections are known to inhibit food intake.
  • The gut-brain pathway's response to CCK has been studied for decades.
  • Recent findings reveal a more complex role for CCK than previously understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review recent evidence on CCK and CCK1Rs in modulating receptor expression on vagal afferent neurons.
  • To examine the role of CCK in regulating food intake and body weight.
  • To explore CCK's activation of anti-inflammatory pathways via the vagus nerve.

Main Methods:

  • Review of recent scientific literature.
  • Analysis of evidence on CCK's effects on vagal afferent neurons.
  • Examination of CCK's role in appetite and inflammation regulation.

Main Results:

  • CCK modulates the expression of receptors for appetite-regulating peptides on vagal afferent neurons.
  • CCK's action via the vagus nerve is crucial for regulating food intake and body weight.
  • CCK activates an anti-inflammatory pathway.

Conclusions:

  • CCK and its receptors (CCK1Rs) have far-reaching consequences in the gut-brain axis.
  • CCK influences appetite regulation and body weight management.
  • CCK plays a significant role in the body's anti-inflammatory responses.

More Related Videos

Mechanisms Underlying Gut Hormone Secretion Using the Isolated Perfused Rat Small Intestine07:00

Mechanisms Underlying Gut Hormone Secretion Using the Isolated Perfused Rat Small Intestine

Published on: February 26, 2019

Studying Murine Small Bowel Mechanosensing of Luminal Particulates10:21

Studying Murine Small Bowel Mechanosensing of Luminal Particulates

Published on: March 18, 2022

Related Concept Videos

Gut-Brain Axis01:22

Gut-Brain Axis

The gut–brain axis is a bidirectional communication system that connects the gastrointestinal tract and the brain. This interaction is mediated through multiple pathways, including the vagus nerve, hormonal signals, immune responses, and chemical messengers produced by gut microbes.Microbial Contributions to Brain FunctionGut microbiota contributes significantly to brain function by producing neuroactive compounds. These include neuroactive compounds that influence neurotransmitters such as...
Neural Regulation01:37

Neural Regulation

Digestion begins with a cephalic phase that prepares the digestive system to receive food. When our brain processes visual or olfactory information about food, it triggers impulses in the cranial nerves innervating the salivary glands and stomach to prepare for food.
Hormonal Regulation01:40

Hormonal Regulation

Hormones regulate a significant portion of digestion through activation of the neuroendocrine system. The neuroendocrine system of digestion contains many different hormones all with multiple functions that are both, directly and indirectly, involved in digestion.
Regulation of Food Intake01:30

Regulation of Food Intake

Short-term regulation of food intake primarily involves neural signals from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract, blood nutrient levels, and GI tract hormones. Communication between the gut and brain via vagal nerve fibers plays a significant role in evaluating the contents of the gut. Clinical studies have shown that protein ingestion produces a more prolonged response in these nerve fibers compared to an equivalent amount of glucose. Additionally, the activation of stretch receptors caused by GI...
Parasympathetic Signaling01:30

Parasympathetic Signaling

Parasympathetic signaling plays a crucial role in regulating various physiological processes. It involves the release of acetylcholine (ACh) by parasympathetic neurons, which can have localized and short-lived effects. The majority of ACh released is rapidly inactivated at the synapse by the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which hydrolyzes Ach into choline and acetate. Additionally, the tissue cholinesterase deactivates any ACh diffusing into the surrounding tissues.
The effects of...
Cephalic Phase of Digestion01:24

Cephalic Phase of Digestion

The process of digestion is composed of three stages – cephalic, gastric, and intestinal – each with a distinct control center. The cephalic phase is the first stage, and it starts even before the food enters the stomach. It is controlled by the central nervous system and is initiated by any food-related sensory stimuli, such as the sight and smell of food, which send signals to the brain. While eating, the taste receptors intensify these signals, which travel to the cerebral cortex and then to...