A new study in animal models provides direct evidence for the role of vagus nerves in gut microbial-brain communication, thus addressing key gaps in the field.
The study, led by Kelly G. Jameson, was a study that demonstrated the gut microbiota and vagus nerve activity when a PhD student at the HSIAO lab at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). There is a clear causal relationship between them.
Although it has long been believed that the vagus nerve can promote communication between the gut microbiome (the community of microbial living in the gut), direct evidence from the brain is limited. Researchers led by Jameson observed that mice without any gut bacteria (called germ-free mice) showed significant differences in the vagus nerve compared to mice with normal gut microbiome Low activity. It is worth noting that when these germ-free mice were introduced into the gut bacteria of normal mice, their vagus nerve activity increased to normal levels.
Further experiments involved introducing antibiotics into the small intestine of normal mice, resulting in a decrease in vagus nerve activity. In germ-induced mice, antibiotics had no effect on vagus nerve activity. However, vagus nerve activity is restored when antibiotics are washed and replaced with the intestines of normal mice. This recovery did not occur from the liquid of sterile mice, highlighting the critical role of the microbiome.
The study also identified specific substances produced by the gut microbiome, such as short-chain fatty acids and bile acids, that can stimulate vagus nerve activity through specific receptors. These metabolites activate different neurons in the vagus nerve, each with its unique response pattern. This activation extends to neurons in the brain stem, demonstrating a clear pathway for intestinal brain communication.
Studies have shown that the intestinal microbiome regulates certain metabolites that activate the vagus nerve, thereby allowing chemosensory signals to spread from the intestinal tract to the brain, thereby enhancing the understanding of the intestinal brain axis and exploring new possibilities for nerve and gastrointestinal treatment. Sex provides new possibilities. disease. Read research on Iscience.
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