Regulation of the central amygdala on intestinal motility and behavior via the lateral hypothalamus in irritable bowel syndrome model mice

Abstract

Background: Impaired bidirectional communication between the gastrointestinal tract and the central nervous system (CNS) is closely related to the development of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Studies in patients with IBS have also shown significant activation of the hypothalamus and amygdala. However, how neural circuits of the CNS participate in and process the emotional and intestinal disorders of IBS remains unclear. Methods:The GABAergic neural pathway projecting from the central amygdala (CeA) to the lateral hypothalamus (LHA) in mice was investigated by retrograde tracking combined with fluorescence immunohistochemistry. Anxiety, depression-like behavior, and intestinal motility were observed in the water-immersion restraint stress group and the control group. Furthermore, the effects of the chemogenetic activation of the GABAergic neural pathway of CeA-LHA on behavior and intestinal motility, as well as the co-expression of orexin-A and c-Fos in the LHA, were explored.

A central amygdala input to the dorsal vagal complex controls gastric motility in mice under restraint stress

“…Other studies revealed that CeA orexin-A regulated food intake and gastric motility, and that the CeA-DMV-vagus-stomach pathway may be involved in the effect ( Jin et al, 2020 ). Moreover, studies have found that chemogenetic activation of GABAergic neurons from CeA to the lateral hypothalamus (LHA) induced emotional and intestinal motility disorders ( He et al, 2022 ). As the major center of gastrointestinal regulation, the DVC plays an important role in the regulation of gastric motility.…”