A Vagus Nerve Dominant Tetra-synaptic Ascending Pathway for Gastric Pain Processing

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2024 Nov 13

PMID 39537596

Authors

Fu-Chao Zhang

Rui-Xia Weng

Di Li

Yong-Chang Li

Xiao-Xuan Dai

Shufen Hu

Qian Sun

Rui Li

Guang-Yin Xu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Gastric pain has limited treatment options and the mechanisms within the central circuitry remain largely unclear. This study investigates the central circuitry in gastric pain induced by noxious gastric distension (GD) in mice. Here, we identified that the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) serves as the first-level center of gastric pain, primarily via the vagus nerve. The prelimbic cortex (PL) is engaged in the perception of gastric pain. The lateral parabrachial nucleus (LPB) and the paraventricular thalamic nucleus (PVT) are crucial regions for synaptic transmission from the NTS to the PL. The glutamatergic tetra-synaptic NTS-LPB-PVT-PL circuitry is necessary and sufficient for the processing of gastric pain. Overall, our finding reveals a glutamatergic tetra-synaptic NTS-LPB-PVT-PL circuitry that transmits gastric nociceptive signaling by the vagus nerve in mice. It provides an insight into the gastric pain ascending pathway and offers potential therapeutic targets for relieving visceral pain.

Citing Articles

Upregulation of NR2B Subunits of NMDA Receptors in the Lateral Parabrachial Nucleus Contributes to Chronic Pancreatitis Pain.

Wu J, Kuang W, Zhu Z, Dou J, Yao J, Cao J CNS Neurosci Ther. 2025; 31(3):e70313.

PMID: 40022510 PMC: 11871393. DOI: 10.1111/cns.70313.

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