Posterior Vagal Trunks Research Articles

Histamine-elicited drinking is dependent upon gastric vagal afferents and peripheral angiotensin II in the rat

While transection of either the anterior (including hepatic) or posterior (including coeliac) vagal trunk failed to alter drinking in response to subcutaneous histamine (0.312–20 mg/kg), selective gastric vagotomy severely attenuated drinking after systemic histamine (1.25–40 mg/kg) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The dose-response curve for rats with gastric vagotomy was shifted to the right: Vagotomy increased the threshold dose nearly tenfold and more than doubled the ED 50. Because the effect of vagotomy on histamine-elicited drinking was not mimicked by cholinergic blockade of vagal efferents using atropine methyl nitrate (10 mg/kg), these results demonstrate that gastric vagal afferents are necessary for a normal drinking response to systemic histamine. When gastric vagotomy was combined with intragastric SQ14,225 (to inhibit the conversion of peripheral angiotensin I to angiotensin II) drinking after systemic histamine was abolished. These results suggest that gastric vagal afferents and angiotensin II are necessary for systemic histamine to elicit drinking in the rat.

Effects of partial and complete vagal denervation on spontaneous ingestion and drinking induced with volemic and osmotic regulatory challenges.

AbstractThe present study investigated the effects of unilateral right or left cervical vagotomy, selective subdiaphragmatic transection of the anterior vagal trunk, the posterior vagal trunk or the hepatic branch of the vagus, and the effects of total abdominal vagotomy with concomitant pyloroplasty on the regulation of spontaneous ingestive behavior and responsiveness to osmotic and volemic challenges. Total abdominal vagotomy with pyloroplasty somewhat reduced food intake, water consumption, and body weight measured ten weeks postsurgery. The other denervation procedures did not affect these parameters of spontaneous ingestive behavior. In additional tests given approximately two and four months postsurgery, rats that had undergone total abdominal vagotomy exhibited a significantly longer latency to drink and consumed less water than controls during the initial 0.5 hours after injection of hypertonic saline. These total abdominally vagotomized rats also exhibited significantly lower cumulative physiological saline intake in comparison to controls for 4, 8, and 16 hours after subcutaneous injection with polyethylene glycol, but not 2 or 24 hours postinjection. However, total abdominal vagotomy did not impair water drinking one, two, or four hours after injection with D,L‐isoproterenol (0.04–0.32 mg/kg body weight). The other denervation procedures did not alter drinking in response to isoproterenol or polyethylene glycol injections, and most of these groups exhibited normal latency and intake following injection of hypertonic saline. The hepatic vagotomy group, however, exhibited a shorter latency to drink in response to hypertonic saline injection than controls. The present results demonstrate that spontaneous food and water intake, body weight, and responsiveness to various volemic and osmotic regulatory challenges are clearly impaired only by the total abdominal vagotomy procedure.

The innervation of the umbilical vein in human embryos and fetuses.

AbstractIn human embryos and fetuses, a small bundle of nerve fibers from the anterior and posterior vagal trunks descends between the layers of the hepatogastric ligament. These fibers pass to the region of the junction of the umbilical vein with the ductus venosus. At this junction, there is a slight thickening of the muscular wall. Nerve fibers pass to this junction and the proximal portion of the umbilical vein.Fibers from the posterior vagal trunk follow the left gastric artery to the celiac plexus. Fibers from this plexus follow the hepatic artery into the lesser omentum and along the portal vein to the liver. Continuing along the left branch of the portal vein, fibers reach the proximal portion of the umbilical vein and its junction with the ductus venosus.Ganglion cells were observed along the course of vagus nerve fibers to the umbilical vein. In embryos these cells were observed on the lower end of the anterior vagal trunk near the attachment of the upper end of the lesser omentum to the lower end of the esophagus. In older fetuses they were found in a small ganglion in the connective tissue surrouding the distal end of the ductus venosus.

Return of Gastric Acidity after Subtotal Gastrectomy and Double Vagotomy

The following study was undertaken to determine the influence of subtotal gastric resection and double vagotomy upon gastric acidity in dogs. Portis and Portis showed that the total acidity remained unaltered after subtotal gastrectomy in dogs. Hartzell found a marked reduction in acid after supra-phrenic double vagotomy, but 2 years later Vanzant working with the same animals reported that the acid had returned to normal values. Complete studies have been made upon 5 dogs. Preliminary to resection and vagotomy, a Pavlov pouch was made. Then, 2 to 3 weeks later when the acidity of the pouch was stabilized, the second operation was performed. This consisted of isolation and division of the anterior and posterior vagal trunks on the abdominal portion of the esophagus and resection of the distal portion of the stomach from a point approximately 3 cm. proximal to the incisura angularis to just beyond the pyloric ring, thus insuring complete removal of the antrum and pylorus. The stump of the duodenum was closed and an anterior Polya gastro-jejunostomy was established. For the study of gastric secretion a test meal consisting of lean meat and water was used. Specimens were obtained for analysis from the intact stomach before operation; from the pouch and main stomach 12 days after the first operation; and from the pouch and gastric remnant for 6 to 12 weeks after the second operation. The samples were aspirated at hourly intervals for periods of 4 to 7 hours after the administration of the test meal and were examined for free, combined, and total acidity by titrating against N/10 sodium hydroxide. In addition, the effect of atropine upon the secretory response to a test meal was studied before and after subtotal removal of the stomach and section of the vagi.