AUTONOMIC REGULATION OF FEEDING AND METABOLISM

该实验室的长期目标是建立功能 中枢和外周神经控制系统的神经解剖学 调节摄食、能量代谢和体重。拟议的研究 将确定一些将大脑连接到 腹部内脏器官。其目的是为了在形态上， 迷走神经和脊髓感觉的组织化学和功能特征 胃肠道、肝脏和胰腺的神经支配。这个 方法论将利用顺行神经的最新发展 使用荧光探针进行跟踪和染色，并通过 激光扫描共聚焦显微镜的手段。第一，亲内脏 大体解剖的神经支配范围和分布模式 水平，个体传入的分支和侧支模式 特殊区域内的纤维，如腺胃、十二指肠 和空肠，终端专业化的精细结构将是 评估过了。组织化学和免疫细胞化学特征 迷走神经和脊髓传入终末的细胞环境将是 确定是为了阐明信号的可能机制 感受器部位的转导。第三，我们将在 脑干和脊髓，二级神经元是 通过功能上特定的初级传入而被生理激活。 这些分析将有助于建立一个功能解剖 内脏传入和传出支配区域，在 营养素、营养素相关激素信号、毒素和 免疫原性物质。这些新的见解将直接与 临床问题，如进食障碍、肥胖、肠易激 综合征、胃和十二指肠溃疡、食物过敏和寄生虫 感染。

The long term goal of this laboratory is to establish the functional neuroanatomy of the central and peripheral neural control systems that regulate feeding, energy metabolism and body weight. The proposed research will identify some of the crucial neural substrate that links the brain to the abdominal visceral organs. The aim is to morphologically, histochemically and functionally characterize the vagal and spinal sensory innervation of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and pancreas. The methodology will make use of recent developments in anterograde neural tracing and staining with fluorescent probes, and optical sectioning by means of laser scanning confocal microscopy. First, the viscerotropic innervation territories and distribution patterns at the gross anatomical level, the branching and collateralization patterns of individual afferent fibers within specialized regions such as the glandular stomach, duodenum and jejunum, and the fine structure of terminal specializations will be assessed. Second, the histochemical and immunocytochemical character of the cellular environment of vagal and spinal afferent terminals will be determined in order to shed light on the possible mechanisms of signal transduction at the receptor sites. Third, we will identify in the brainstem and spinal cord the second order neurons that are physiologically activated through functionally specific primary afferents. Together these analyses will help establish a functional anatomy of visceral afferents and efferents innervating areas that play key roles in the detection of nutrients, nutrient related hormonal signals, toxins and immunogenic substances. These new insights will have direct relevance for clinical issues such as eating disorders, obesity, irritable bowel syndrome, gastric and duodenal ulcer, food allergies and parasitic infections.