Pj. Hornby, Receptors and Transmission in the Brain-Gut Axis - II. Excitatory amino acid receptors in the brain-gut axis, AM J P-GAST, 280(6), 2001, pp. G1055-G1060
Citations number
30
Categorie Soggetti
da verificare
Journal title
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSIOLOGY-GASTROINTESTINAL AND LIVER PHYSIOLOGY
In the last decade, there has been a dramatic increase in academic and phar
maceutical interest in central integration of vago-vagal reflexes controlli
ng the gastrointestinal tract. Associated with this, there have been substa
ntial efforts to determine the receptor-mediated events in the dorsal vagal
complex that underlie the physiological responses to distension or variati
ons in the composition of the gut contents. Strong evidence supports the id
ea that glutamate is a transmitter in afferent vagal fibers conveying infor
mation from the gut to the brain, and the implications of this are discusse
d in this themes article. Furthermore, both ionotropic and metabotropic glu
tamate receptors mediate pre- and postsynaptic control of glutamate transmi
ssion related to several reflexes, including swallowing motor pattern gener
ation, gastric accommodation, and emesis. The emphasis of this themes artic
le is on the potential therapeutic benefits afforded by modulation of these
receptors at the site of the dorsal vagal complex.