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Related Concept Videos

Pathophysiology of Vomiting01:22

Pathophysiology of Vomiting

Vomiting is a complex physiological response to expel harmful or irritating substances from the body. It's a defensive mechanism triggered by stimuli like poisons, microbial toxins, cytotoxic drugs, and mechanical abdominal distension. The process is centrally coordinated by the vomiting (or emetic) center located in the medulla of the brainstem. This area, rich in muscarinic M1, histamine H1, neurokinin 1 (NK1), and serotonin 5-HT3 receptors, coordinates the act of vomiting through interaction...

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Updated: May 12, 2026

Assessing the Autonomic and Behavioral Effects of Passive Motion in Rats using Elevator Vertical Motion and Ferris-Wheel Rotation
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Why can't rodents vomit? A comparative behavioral, anatomical, and physiological study.

Charles C Horn1, Bruce A Kimball, Hong Wang

  • 1Biobehavioral Medicine in Oncology Program, University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States of America. chorn@pitt.edu

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|April 18, 2013
PubMed
Summary

Rodents, including rats and mice, cannot vomit due to a lack of necessary brainstem neural circuits, not just anatomical limitations. This inability is a general trait across the Rodentia order.

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Area of Science:

  • Neuroscience
  • Comparative Anatomy
  • Physiology

Background:

  • The vomiting (emetic) reflex is present in many mammals but absent in laboratory rodents.
  • The reasons for this absence in rodents are unclear, with potential causes including anatomical constraints or missing neural pathways.
  • It is unknown if laboratory rodents represent the entire order Rodentia regarding the emetic reflex.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the emetic reflex capabilities across different rodent groups.
  • To determine if anatomical or neurological factors contribute to the absence of vomiting in rodents.
  • To assess the suitability of rodents as models for emesis research.

Main Methods:

  • Behavioral testing using emetic agents (apomorphine, veratrine, copper sulfate) on various rodent species.
  • Anatomical assessment of the diaphragm and stomach geometry in rodents versus vomiting species.
  • In situ brainstem preparation in mice, rats, and musk shrews to measure neural and muscular activity during emetic stimulation.

Main Results:

  • Prototypical emetic agents did not induce vomiting or retching in tested rodents (rats, mice, voles, beavers, guinea pigs, nutria, mountain beavers).
  • Rodents possess anatomical features potentially limiting vomiting, such as reduced diaphragm musculature and stomach geometry.
  • Brainstem preparations showed that laboratory mice and rats lack coordinated neural and muscular actions characteristic of emetic episodes, unlike musk shrews.

Conclusions:

  • The inability to vomit appears to be a general characteristic of the order Rodentia.
  • The absence of a functional brainstem neurological component is the most probable cause for the lack of vomiting in rodents.
  • Findings suggest limitations in using rodents as models for studying the emetic reflex.