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Vagal innervation patterns following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in the mouse

International Journal of Obesity volume 37, pages 1603–1607 (2013)Cite this article

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Abstract

This study investigated the anatomical integrity of the vagal innervation to the gastrointestinal tract following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) in the mouse. Specifically, the surgical procedure was performed in high-fat-fed reporter mice (Phox2b-Cre-tdTomato), in which the entire vagal innervation of the gastrointestinal tract was fluorescently labeled. As a result, our anatomical observations revealed both qualitative and quantitative changes of the vagal supply to the gut after RYGB. This included the extensive denervation of the glandular and distal stomach, and sites of surgical interventions (clipping and anastomosis). Furthermore, the stomach wall after RYGB frequently contained dystrophic axons and endings, suggestive of vagal neurodegeneration. In contrast, RYGB did not significantly modify the innervation to the rest of the intestines and glucostatic organs. In summary, the present study describes a previously unrecognized pattern of vagal remodeling and denervation following RYGB. Our findings may serve as a guideline for future investigations on the role of gut–brain communication in bariatric surgery.

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Acknowledgements

We are grateful to Matthew Harper for his technical assistance and Joel K Elmquist (UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas) for his comments on the manuscript.

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  1. Division of Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Dallas, TX, USA

    L Gautron, J F Zechner & V Aguirre

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  1. L Gautron
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  2. J F Zechner
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  3. V Aguirre
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Correspondence to L Gautron or V Aguirre.

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Gautron, L., Zechner, J. & Aguirre, V. Vagal innervation patterns following Roux-en-Y gastric bypass in the mouse. Int J Obes 37, 1603–1607 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2013.48

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