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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Sep 22, 2025

Gastrointestinal Motility Monitor GIMM

Gastrointestinal Motility Monitor GIMM

Published on: December 1, 2010

Interactions between Brainstem Neurons That Regulate the Motility to the Stomach.

Lorenza Bellusci¹, Selena N Garcia DuBar¹, Michelle Kuah¹

¹Departments of Pharmacology and Physiology.

The Journal of Neuroscience : the Official Journal of the Society for Neuroscience

|May 24, 2022

Summary

Neuropeptide-Y (NPY) and somatostatin (SST) neurons in the brainstem

Keywords:

DMV: gastric motility NTS hindbrain optogenetics vagus

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Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Gastroenterology
Cell Biology

Background:

Gastric motility is regulated by activity in the dorsal vagal complex (DVC).
Somatostatin (SST)-expressing GABAergic neurons influence DVC activity.
The role of neuropeptide-Y (NPY) neurons in gastric motility control is unknown.

Purpose of the Study:

Investigate the anatomic and functional characteristics of NPY neurons in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS).
Determine NPY neuron interactions with SST neurons.
Assess the impact of NPY neurons on gastric motility.

Main Methods:

Transgenic mice of both sexes were used.
Combined neuroanatomy and optogenetics (in vitro and in vivo) were employed.
Viral tracers were used to label gastric-antrum-projecting neurons.

Main Results:

NPY neurons are part of the gastric vagal circuit.
Optogenetic activation of NPY neurons evoked excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in gastric-antrum-projecting neurons.
NPY neurons are reciprocally connected to SST neurons, with SST stimulation inhibiting NPY neuron firing.
Optogenetic manipulation of NPY and SST neurons affected gastric tone and motility in vivo.

Conclusions:

Interacting NPY and SST neurons are integral to the network controlling vagal transmission to the stomach.
NPY and SST neurons in the NTS form reciprocal connections to regulate gastric mechanics.
NPY neurons excite gastric-projecting neurons, while SST neurons inhibit NPY neurons, collectively influencing gastric motility.