Visceral sensory inputs to the endocrine hypothalamus

Abstract

Interoceptive feedback signals from the body are transmitted to hypothalamic neurons that control pituitary hormone release. This review article describes the organization of central neural pathways that convey ascending visceral sensory signals to endocrine neurons in the paraventricular (PVN) and supraoptic nuclei (SON) of the hypothalamus in rats. A special emphasis is placed on viscerosensory inputs to corticotropin releasing factor (CRF)-containing PVN neurons that drive the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and on inputs to magnocellular PVN and SON neurons that release vasopressin (AVP) or oxytocin (OT) from the posterior pituitary. The postnatal development of these ascending pathways also is considered.

Comparison of baroreceptive to other afferent synaptic transmission to the medial solitary tract nucleus

“…myelinated; unmyelinated; C-fibers; capsaicin; quantal release; glutamate; convergence VISCERAL AFFERENTS, THE IX and Xth cranial nerves, enter the brain at the solitary tract nucleus (NTS) (5). These afferents provide information for vital homeostatic reflexes that coordinate systemic control of cardiovascular, respiratory, and gastrointestinal function, as well as visceral aspects of integrated satiety, body temperature, neuroendocrine, and stress responses (19,24,41,67). These diverse afferents belong to two broad classes, those with myelinated or unmyelinated axons, and each class distinctively expresses characteristic ion channels and receptors (32,43,48).…”

Multifaceted interplay among mediators and regulators of intestinal glucose absorption: potential impacts on diabetes research and treatment

“…After ingestion of a meal, the presence of nutrients generates neural signals that are sent to hindbrain nuclei for integration; those nuclei project to various forebrain regions, including the hypothalamus (124,152). Furthermore, the intestinal regulatory peptide leptin, introduced above, modulates energy balance through its actions on the hypothalamic long-form leptin receptor (Lepr b ) (98,101).…”

Hypothalamic substrates of metabolic imprinting

“…The medial most part of the medial zone, and adjacent periventricular zone, contain most of the neurons that control autonomic outflow from the hypothalamus, while the lateral zone is involved primarily with arousal, behavioral motivation, and sensory integration (see ([39]; [40]; [41]). Each of these zones appears to play a distinct role in the regulation of body weight, and each zone is differentially innervated by descending cortical inputs [23,42] and ascending visceral sensory inputs [43]. The effectiveness of leptin in regulating energy stores is due to its direct access to hypothalamic neurons that control feeding behavior and other aspects of energy metabolism (see [33,34,[44][45][46][47] for reviews).…”

“…Noradrenergic inputs from the brainstem to key parts of the hypothalamus such as the PVH and VMH are present at birth and continue to increase in density through the first 3 postnatal weeks [43]. Inputs specifically from the nucleus of the solitary tract do not appear to reach the PVH until postnatal day 6 (P6).…”