Morphological analysis for the relationship between the leptin-melanocortin control system and the vagus nerve in feeding.

中枢黑皮质素系统包括黑皮质素-4受体（MC 4 R），不仅在控制摄食和能量消耗方面起重要作用，而且在葡萄糖/胰岛素稳态中起重要作用。使用转基因小鼠模型，其中绿色荧光蛋白的MC 4 R启动子的控制下产生的，我们发现，迷走神经的背侧运动核包含许多MC 4 R表达神经元，其中一些作出突触与节后细胞的壁内神经节的胃和十二指肠，以及在胰内神经节。这些结果表明，从MC 4-R表达DMV神经元到肠和胰腺内神经节的投射纤维可能与胃肠和胰腺功能的控制密切相关。

The central melanocortin system including melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) plays an important role not only in the control of feeding and energy expenditure but also in glucose/insulin homeostasis. Using a transgenic mouse model in which green fluorescent protein is produced under the control of the MC4R promoter, we found that the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve contains many MC4R-expressing neurons, some of which made synapses with the postganglionic cells in the intramural ganglia of the stomach and duodenum, as well as in the intrapancreatic ganglia. These results suggested that projection fibers from the MC4-R-expressing DMV neurons to the enteric and intrapancreatic ganglia may be closely related to the control of gastrointestinal and pancreatic functions.