Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 25, 2026

Fabrication and Implantation of Miniature Dual-element Strain Gages for Measuring In Vivo Gastrointestinal Contractions in Rodents.
Published on: September 18, 2014
A vagal gut-brain axis for feeding-induced gastric secretion in mice
Zhuang Wang1, Qihong Tang1, Kai Li2
1Huadong Hospital, Shanghai Key Laboratory of Clinical Geriatric Medicine, Shanghai Medical College, Institute for Translational Brain Research, State Key Laboratory of Brain Function and Disorders, MOE Frontiers Center for Brain Science, Center for Clinical Neuro-AI, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032, China.
Abstract:
Feeding begins with food-seeking and ends with nutrient absorption and waste elimination. Although meal-related sensory cues shape feeding behavior, how they engage neural circuits to control digestion remains unclear. We dissected vagal gut-brain-gut pathways mediating meal-induced gastric secretion. Stomach-innervating vagal afferents were necessary and sufficient for secretion. Among them, Glp1r+ and Sst+ neurons drove acid, pepsin, and gastrin secretion, whereas Oxtr+ and Vip+ neurons had little effect. Piezo2 was expressed in Glp1r+ mechanosensory afferents, and conditional deletion of Piezo2 attenuated distension-evoked secretion. On the efferent limb, genetically defined vagal motor-neuron subsets showed distinct secretory effects: Cck+ neurons broadly increased acid, pepsin, and gastrin, whereas Grp+ neurons preferentially affected acid secretion. Finally, enteric circuit dissection revealed modular output control, with Calb2+ neurons driving secretion with minimal motility effects. Together, these results define a cell-type-resolved vagal-enteric architecture for gastric control.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Gut-Brain Axis
Neural Regulation
Gastric Motility
Peristaltic Waves and Chyme Formation
Upon food entry, the stomach initiates...
Enteric Nervous System: Regulation of GI Motor Activity
During periods of fasting, the ENS initiates the migrating myoelectric complex, a program...
Gastric Emptying
Gastric Phase of Digestion
When food enters the stomach, it stretches the stomach walls and activates stretch receptors. This triggers local reflexes of the enteric nervous system, mediated through the myenteric plexus. These...

