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

包括黑素皮质素-4受体（melanocortin-4 receptor, MC4R）在内的中央黑素皮质素系统不仅在摄食和能量消耗的控制中起重要作用，而且在葡萄糖/胰岛素稳态中也起重要作用。在MC4R启动子调控下产生绿色荧光蛋白的转基因小鼠模型中，我们发现迷走神经背运动核中含有许多表达MC4R的神经元，其中一些神经元与胃、十二指肠壁神经节以及胰腺内神经节的节后细胞形成突触。这些结果提示，mc4 - r表达的DMV神经元向肠神经节和胰腺内神经节的投射纤维可能与胃肠道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.