Abstract
Nausea and vomiting are biological systems for defense against food poisoning that are also provoked by numerous drugs (e.g., chemotherapy, anesthesia) and chronic diseases (e.g., cancer, diabetic gastroparesis). The sensory pathways that stimulate nausea and vomiting include vestibular, area postrema, and forebrain inputs, but gastrointestinal vagal afferent fibers arguably play the most prominent role as a first-line defense. Vagal sensory neurons detect toxins that enter the gastrointestinal lumen and transmit information to the hindbrain, leading to nausea (an unconditioned stimulus that serves to facilitate the avoidance of offending foods) and vomiting (a mechanism to clear contents from the stomach). Despite the major importance of these systems to human physiology, progress on the biological basis of nausea and vomiting has been slow – partly because laboratory rats and mice, which represent the largest thrust of preclinical biomedical research, lack a vomiting reflex (although they appear to have indices of nausea, e.g., conditioned food aversion). Several established models are a mainstay of preclinical nausea and vomiting research in academia and pharmaceutical companies, including the dog, cat, ferret, and musk shrew. An argument is made for broader testing across species since each model possesses often unique experimental advantages and sensitivity to emetic and antiemetic agents. This review focuses on the state of knowledge on the neural pathways for nausea and vomiting, behavioral indices of nausea used in preclinical models, role of vagal afferent fibers, current antiemetic and antinausea treatments, and potential future directions.
Keywords: Vomiting, nausea, emesis, pica, conditioned taste aversion and vagus.
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title:The Medical Implications of Gastrointestinal Vagal Afferent Pathways in Nausea and Vomiting
Volume: 20 Issue: 16
Author(s): Charles C. Horn
Affiliation:
Keywords: Vomiting, nausea, emesis, pica, conditioned taste aversion and vagus.
Abstract: Nausea and vomiting are biological systems for defense against food poisoning that are also provoked by numerous drugs (e.g., chemotherapy, anesthesia) and chronic diseases (e.g., cancer, diabetic gastroparesis). The sensory pathways that stimulate nausea and vomiting include vestibular, area postrema, and forebrain inputs, but gastrointestinal vagal afferent fibers arguably play the most prominent role as a first-line defense. Vagal sensory neurons detect toxins that enter the gastrointestinal lumen and transmit information to the hindbrain, leading to nausea (an unconditioned stimulus that serves to facilitate the avoidance of offending foods) and vomiting (a mechanism to clear contents from the stomach). Despite the major importance of these systems to human physiology, progress on the biological basis of nausea and vomiting has been slow – partly because laboratory rats and mice, which represent the largest thrust of preclinical biomedical research, lack a vomiting reflex (although they appear to have indices of nausea, e.g., conditioned food aversion). Several established models are a mainstay of preclinical nausea and vomiting research in academia and pharmaceutical companies, including the dog, cat, ferret, and musk shrew. An argument is made for broader testing across species since each model possesses often unique experimental advantages and sensitivity to emetic and antiemetic agents. This review focuses on the state of knowledge on the neural pathways for nausea and vomiting, behavioral indices of nausea used in preclinical models, role of vagal afferent fibers, current antiemetic and antinausea treatments, and potential future directions.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Horn C. Charles, The Medical Implications of Gastrointestinal Vagal Afferent Pathways in Nausea and Vomiting, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2014; 20 (16) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/13816128113199990568
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/13816128113199990568 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
"Tuberculosis Prevention, Diagnosis and Drug Discovery"
The Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and streptomycin have enabled an appropriate diagnosis and an effective treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, many newer diagnosis methods and drugs have been saving millions of lives. Despite advances in the past, TB is still a leading cause of infectious disease mortality ...read more
?Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment: Nano-Therapeutics Targeting Tumor Microenvironment?
This thematic issue explores the forefront of cancer treatment, centering on the groundbreaking potential of nano-therapeutics meticulously designed to target the tumor microenvironment. At its core, the issue aims to unravel the latest advancements in nanotechnology, showcasing innovative materials, formulations, and delivery systems that hold promise for redefining cancer therapeutics. ...read more
Current Pharmaceutical challenges in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological dysfunctions
Neurological dysfunctions (MND, ALS, MS, PD, AD, HD, ALS, Autism, OCD etc..) present significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, often necessitating innovative approaches and therapeutic interventions. This thematic issue aims to explore the current pharmaceutical landscape surrounding neurological disorders, shedding light on the challenges faced by researchers, clinicians, and ...read more
Emerging and re-emerging diseases
Faced with a possible endemic situation of COVID-19, the world has experienced two important phenomena, the emergence of new infectious diseases and/or the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of such diseases has also undergone changes. This context, in turn, may have a strong relationship with ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
The Plastic Phenomenon Underlying the Associative Processes in the Addictive Properties of Diazepam and Other Psychoactive Drugs
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry New Route to Synthesize Fluorine Substituted Lamotrigine Drug Analogues as an Anti-Inflammatory Agent
Current Organic Synthesis Genes Underlying Monogenic and Multigenic Epilepsies in Mice
Current Genomics Schizophrenia and the Neglect Syndrome: Parietal Contributions to Cognitive Dysfunction in Schizophrenia
Current Psychiatry Reviews TRP Channels as Novel Targets for Endogenous Ligands: Focus on Endocannabinoids and Nociceptive Signalling
Current Neuropharmacology Diabetes Gene Therapy: Potential and Challenges
Current Gene Therapy Alzheimer’s Disease and Molecular Chaperones: Current Knowledge and the Future of Chaperonotherapy
Current Pharmaceutical Design AED Strategy after Refractory Epilepsy Surgery
Current Pharmaceutical Design PDZ Domain Protein-Protein Interactions: A Case Study with PICK1
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry The Use of Microarrays to Study Childhood Developmental Brain Disorders
Current Genomics Design, Synthesis and Antidepressant and Anticonvulsant Effect of 1-Alkoxy-1H-Benzo[d]-1,2,3-Triazole Derivatives
Letters in Drug Design & Discovery Neuronal Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors - Targets for the Development of Drugs to Treat Cognitive Impairment Associated with Schizophrenia and Alzheimers Disease
Current Topics in Medicinal Chemistry Telmisartan Promotes Potential Glucose Homeostasis in Stroke-Resistant Spontaneously Hypertensive Rats via Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptor γ Activation
Current Neurovascular Research The Calcium-Sensing Receptor as a Regulator of Cellular Fate in Normal and Pathological Conditions
Current Molecular Medicine Therapeutic Potentials of Adenosine Receptors: The State of The Art
Current Pharmaceutical Design Association of Genetic Polymorphisms of CYP2C9 and VKORC1 with Bleeding Following Warfarin: A Case-Control Study
Current Clinical Pharmacology The Interaction of Zinc Oxide/Green Tea Extract Complex Nanoparticles and its Effect on Monosodium Glutamate Toxicity in Liver of Rats
Current Pharmaceutical Biotechnology Drug Delivery to CNS: Challenges and Opportunities with Emphasis on Biomaterials Based Drug Delivery Strategies
Current Pharmaceutical Design The NMDA Receptor Complex: A Promising Target for Novel Antiepileptic Strategies
Current Medicinal Chemistry Spirooxindoles as Potential Pharmacophores
Mini-Reviews in Medicinal Chemistry