A vagus nerve dominant tetra-synaptic ascending pathway for gastric pain processing

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)...

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Main Authors: Fu-Chao Zhang, Rui-Xia Weng, Di Li, Yong-Chang Li, Xiao-Xuan Dai, Shufen Hu, Qian Sun, Rui Li, Guang-Yin Xu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Nature Portfolio 2024-11-01
Series:Nature Communications
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54056-w
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author Fu-Chao Zhang
Rui-Xia Weng
Di Li
Yong-Chang Li
Xiao-Xuan Dai
Shufen Hu
Qian Sun
Rui Li
Guang-Yin Xu
author_facet Fu-Chao Zhang
Rui-Xia Weng
Di Li
Yong-Chang Li
Xiao-Xuan Dai
Shufen Hu
Qian Sun
Rui Li
Guang-Yin Xu
author_sort Fu-Chao Zhang
collection DOAJ
description 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.
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institution Kabale University
issn 2041-1723
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publishDate 2024-11-01
publisher Nature Portfolio
record_format Article
series Nature Communications
spelling doaj-art-5cbf59ec2f884937b4f1f3a0d6d8b6942024-11-17T12:35:48ZengNature PortfolioNature Communications2041-17232024-11-0115111610.1038/s41467-024-54056-wA vagus nerve dominant tetra-synaptic ascending pathway for gastric pain processingFu-Chao Zhang0Rui-Xia Weng1Di Li2Yong-Chang Li3Xiao-Xuan Dai4Shufen Hu5Qian Sun6Rui Li7Guang-Yin Xu8Clinical Research Center of Neurological Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow UniversityClinical Research Center of Neurological Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow UniversityClinical Research Center of Neurological Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow UniversityClinical Research Center of Neurological Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow UniversityClinical Research Center of Neurological Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow UniversityClinical Research Center of Neurological Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow UniversityDepartment of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversityDepartment of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow UniversityClinical Research Center of Neurological Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Neuropsychiatric Diseases and Institute of Neuroscience, Soochow UniversityAbstract 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.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54056-w
spellingShingle Fu-Chao Zhang
Rui-Xia Weng
Di Li
Yong-Chang Li
Xiao-Xuan Dai
Shufen Hu
Qian Sun
Rui Li
Guang-Yin Xu
A vagus nerve dominant tetra-synaptic ascending pathway for gastric pain processing
Nature Communications
title A vagus nerve dominant tetra-synaptic ascending pathway for gastric pain processing
title_full A vagus nerve dominant tetra-synaptic ascending pathway for gastric pain processing
title_fullStr A vagus nerve dominant tetra-synaptic ascending pathway for gastric pain processing
title_full_unstemmed A vagus nerve dominant tetra-synaptic ascending pathway for gastric pain processing
title_short A vagus nerve dominant tetra-synaptic ascending pathway for gastric pain processing
title_sort vagus nerve dominant tetra synaptic ascending pathway for gastric pain processing
url https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-54056-w
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