Localization of sites within dorsal motor nucleus of vagus that affect gastric motility

1985 ◽  
Vol 249 (1) ◽  
pp. G73-G84 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. D. Pagani ◽  
W. P. Norman ◽  
D. K. Kasbekar ◽  
R. A. Gillis

The purpose of our study was to determine the localization of sites within the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) of the cat that when stimulated would increase gastric motility. To do this, two types of experiments were performed. First, the retrograde tracer fast blue was injected into the antrum and pylorus, and labeled neurons in the DMV were identified. Second, electrical stimulation was performed in areas of the DMV labeled with fast blue as well as in nearby areas with no labeling while monitoring gastric motility, arterial pressure, and heart rate. Results from the first type of studies revealed that peak labeling in the DMV occurred between 0.56 and 1.56 mm rostral to obex. Electrical stimulation in this area using 100 microA, 0.2 ms duration pulses, and 50 Hz resulted in increases in antral and pyloric contractions in 20 animals. The magnitude of pyloric and antral responses elicited by stimulation of the DMV generally correlated to the number of cell bodies labeled with fast blue within the DMV. No changes in arterial pressure occurred, and only a slight (-4%) decrease in heart rate was observed. Maximal increases in motility occurred with 20 Hz (antrum) or 100 Hz (pylorus). These increases in motility were maintained even at 200- and 400-Hz stimulation. Ipsilateral vagotomy or pretreatment with propantheline bromide prevented the increases in gastric motility produced by electrical stimulation of the DMV. Electrical stimulation of more rostral sites in the DMV, the medial nucleus of the solitary tract (NTS), and an area within 1.0 mm medial to the DMV resulted in attenuated or no motility responses. Stimulation of the medial nucleus of the NTS did result in pronounced slowing in heart rate (-61 +/- 21 beats/min). These results suggest that there is a localization of a “stomach area” within the DMV and that electrical stimulation of this area results in gastric motility responses that are mediated by vagal fibers projecting directly to the stomach. In addition, electrical stimulation of the DMV results in selective effects on the gastrointestinal tract in that no pronounced changes in heart rate and arterial pressure occur.

2016 ◽  
pp. 693-700 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. HE ◽  
H.-B. AI

The aim of the study was to determine the effects of electrical stimulation of different locations in the central nucleus of amygdala (CNA) on gastric motility and spike activity in dorsal vagal complex. Gastric motility index (GMI) and firing rate (FR) of dorsal vagal complex neurons were measured in adult Wistar rats respectively. Neuronal spikes in dorsal vagal complex (DVC) were recorded extracellularly with single-barrel glass microelectrodes. Each type of responses elicited by electrical stimulation in medial (CEM) and lateral (CEL) subdivisions of CNA were recorded, respectively. GMI was significantly increased after stimulation of CEM (p<0.01), and significantly decreased in response to CEL stimulation (p<0.01). After stimulation of CEM, FR in medial nucleus of the solitary tract (mNST) decreased by 31.6 % (p<0.01) and that in dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMNV) increased by 27.1 % (p<0.01). On the contrary, FR in mNST increased (p<0.01) and that in DMNV decreased in response to CEL stimulation (p<0.05). In conclusions, our findings indicated that different loci of CNA may mediate differential effects on gastric activity via changes in the firing of brainstem neurons controlling gut activity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 43 (10) ◽  
pp. 1057-1067 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gean Domingos-Souza ◽  
Fernanda Machado Santos-Almeida ◽  
César Arruda Meschiari ◽  
Nathanne S. Ferreira ◽  
Camila A. Pereira ◽  
...  

2007 ◽  
Vol 292 (1) ◽  
pp. R291-R307 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maureen T. Cruz ◽  
Erin C. Murphy ◽  
Niaz Sahibzada ◽  
Joseph G. Verbalis ◽  
Richard A. Gillis

Our primary purpose was to characterize vagal pathways controlling gastric motility by microinjecting l-glutamate into the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) in the rat. An intragastric balloon was used to monitor motility. In 39 out of 43 experiments, microinjection of l-glutamate into different areas of the DMV rostral to calamus scriptorius (CS) resulted in vagally mediated excitatory effects on motility. We observed little evidence for inhibitory effects, even with intravenous atropine or with activation of gastric muscle muscarinic receptors by intravenous bethanechol. Inhibition of nitric oxide synthase with Nω-nitro-l-arginine methyl ester (l-NAME) HCl did not augment DMV-evoked excitatory effects on gastric motility. Microinjection of l-glutamate into the DMV caudal to CS produced vagally mediated gastric inhibition that was resistant to l-NAME. l-Glutamate microinjected into the medial subnucleus of the tractus solitarius (mNTS) also produced vagally mediated inhibition of gastric motility. Motility responses evoked from the DMV were always blocked by ipsilateral vagotomy, while responses evoked from the mNTS required bilateral vagotomy to be blocked. Microinjection of oxytocin into the DMV inhibited gastric motility, but the effect was never blocked by ipsilateral vagotomy, suggesting that the effect may have been due to diffusion of oxytocin to the mNTS. Microinjection of substance P and N-methyl-d-aspartate into the DMV also produced inhibitory effects attributable to excitation of nearby mNTS neurons. Our results do not support previous studies indicating parallel vagal excitatory and inhibitory pathways originating in the DMV rostral to CS. Our results do support previous findings of vagal inhibitory pathways originating in the DMV caudal to CS.


1975 ◽  
Vol 229 (3) ◽  
pp. 783-789 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Schwaber ◽  
N Schneiderman

Unit activity evoked by electrical stimulation of the aortic and vagus nerves was recorded in the dorsal motor nucleus and nucleus solitarius of unanesthetized rabbits. Cardioinhibitory cells which showed antidromic activation to stimulation of the vagus nerve and synaptic activation to stimulation of the aortic nerve were localized in lateral dorsal motor nucleus 0.5-0.8 mm anterior of the obex. Additionally, units were found that appeared to be interneurons in the medullary pathway subserving baroreceptor reflex effects on cardioinhibitory neurons. These cells were activated by aortic, and usually vagus, nerve stimulation, appeared to be polysynaptically activated, and were located in medial nucleus solitarius rostral to the obex. Neurons reflecting a cardiac rhythm but not activated by aortic nerve stimulation were also observed.


1987 ◽  
Vol 253 (1) ◽  
pp. H91-H99 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Hasser ◽  
D. O. Nelson ◽  
J. R. Haywood ◽  
V. S. Bishop

This study investigated the effect of chemical and electrical stimulation of the area postrema on renal sympathetic nerve activity (RSNA), arterial pressure, and heart rate in urethan-anesthetized rabbits. Electrical stimulation of the area postrema at 2, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 Hz using constant currents of 7.5, 15, and 30 microA (pulse duration = 0.3 ms, train duration = 5 s) produced progressive decreases in RSNA and heart rate, with no consistent change in arterial pressure. To control for electrical activation of fibers of passage in or near the area postrema, L-glutamate was injected into the area postrema using glass micropipettes. Micropressure injection of L-glutamate (10 mM) in volumes of 5-10 nl produced rapid decreases in RSNA averaging 27 +/- 5% (P less than 0.05) accompanied by a small bradycardia. The effects of electrical stimulation of the area postrema, but not the adjacent nucleus tractus solitarius, were totally eliminated by micropressure injection of kainic acid (40 ng in 40 nl) into the area postrema. During continuous electrical stimulation of the area postrema using parameters that produced small decrements in RSNA and heart rate, the slope of the line relating baroreflex inhibition of RSNA to increases in arterial pressure during graded infusions of phenylephrine was significantly enhanced (-6.77 +/- 1.30 vs. -3.81 +/- 0.66% RSNA/mmHg). These data are consistent with the hypothesis that activation of neurons in the area postrema results in an inhibition of RSNA. Furthermore, stimulation of the area postrema augments baroreflex inhibition of RSNA during increases in arterial pressure with phenylephrine.


1998 ◽  
Vol 274 (2) ◽  
pp. G331-G341 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xueguo Zhang ◽  
William E. Renehan ◽  
Ronald Fogel

Perfusing the duodenum with acid solutions dramatically reduces gastric motility and acid secretion. We propose that the presence of acid in the proximal small intestine initiates a vagovagal reflex that excites inhibitory neurons in the nucleus of the solitary tract (NST) and reduces the activity of the neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve (DMNV). However, results from several investigations suggest that the relevant circuit may not be as simple as we had believed. The present study was designed to address this dilemma by employing intracellular and extracellular recording and intracellular labeling techniques to provide direct information on the activity of neurons in the NST and DMNV during and after intestinal exposure to acid solutions. The results obtained prove that NST and DMNV neurons respond to HCl in the duodenum. In some instances, these neurons were very stimulus specific, although the majority of the cells in our sample (47% of NST neurons and 86% of DMNV neurons) also responded to distension of the stomach and/or duodenum. It is important to note, however, that many of the more broadly responsive neurons in the dorsal vagal complex were able to distinguish between mechanical and chemical stimulation of the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Most of the NST neurons that responded to duodenal perfusion with HCl were excited by this stimulus. Conversely, activity of most of the DMNV neurons decreased after the onset of the HCl stimulus. These findings verify the existence of a vagovagal reflex pathway initiated by duodenal perfusion with acid. Presumably, this reflex would decrease gastric motility and acid secretion, reducing the amount of acid that enters the duodenum and ultimately protecting the intestinal mucosa.


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