Researchers have demonstrated the existence of a neuronal connection between the intestine and the brainstem just below the brain. So far, only one hormonal communication had been identified.
Researchers suspected the existence of a faster mechanism because the sensory cells present in the intestine have similarities to those of the tongue and nose. For example, these cells emit an electrical signal, if they are stimulated.
In this new research, researchers at Duke University wanted to better understand the circuit that connects the intestine and the brain. For this, they used a green fluorescence-labeled rabies virus that they injected into the mouse’s stomach to follow its path from the gut to the brain.
In their experiments, researchers suspected that glutamate, a neurotransmitter involved in taste and smell, played a role in the transmission of the message. When they blocked the release of glutamate in the intestinal sensory cells, there was no more message. Therefore, enteroendocrine cells do not play only a hormonal role.
