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Neurogastroenterology

The many means of conversation between the brain and the gut

Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology volume 20, pages 73–74 (2023)Cite this article

Subjects

Various pathways enable communication between the gut and brain, and this communication influences physiology and behaviour. Studies published in 2022 demonstrate how our understanding of several of these pathways is advancing rapidly.

Key advances

  • Neuronal recordings and imaging in mice revealed that direct neural pathways from the gut to the brain via the vagus nerve communicate changes in osmolality and mediate thirst2.

  • Work in Drosophila melanogaster demonstrated how intake of particular nutrients can influence endocrine release from the gut that alters neuronal activity in the brain and mediates a switch from feeding behaviour to courtship behaviour3.

  • Analysis of the human gut virome showed that specific orders of viral bacteriophages in the gut influence the gut bacterial population and that these changes are associated with cognitive function4.

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Fig. 1: Insights into various modes of communication between the gut and the brain.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy and Physiology, the University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia

    Marlene M. Hao & Lincon A. Stamp

Authors
  1. Marlene M. Hao
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  2. Lincon A. Stamp
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Marlene M. Hao or Lincon A. Stamp.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Hao, M.M., Stamp, L.A. The many means of conversation between the brain and the gut. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol 20, 73–74 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41575-022-00725-4

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