Signals from the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus promote jejunal fat absorption

Efferent nerves from the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus (DMV) connect to the gastrointestinal system and are thought to regulate digestion. The mechanisms by which the DMV controls nutrient absorption are under active investigation. A study published in Nature shows that a subpopulation of DMV neurons controls intestinal dietary fat absorption by modulating microvillus length in the jejunum.

The researchers then searched for a pharmacological means of inhibiting DMV activity by performing electrophysiology on mouse brainstem slices exposed to different molecules of interest. This approach revealed that the isoflavanoid puerarin suppressed DMV activity. “Moreover, photo-affinity labelling was used to identify proteins that bind to puerarin,” say authors Qianqian Lyu, Wenzhi Xue, Chunlei Zhang and Jiqiu Wang. The results suggested that puerarin might target GABRA1, a subunit of the inhibitory receptor GABA_A.