Scientists are conducting experiments to see if targeting the enteric nervous system with a compound can inhibit the aggregation of alpha-synuclein and slow the progression of Parkinson's disease.
Hydration signals from the gut travel via the vagus nerve to activate thirst neurons in the SFO. These neurons signal to cells in the median preoptic nucleus, driving animals to drink and the kidneys to conserve water in the bloodstream.
Researchers report a molecular pathway that activates during fasting could help halt the spread of intestinal bacteria into the bloodstream.
According to a new study, Parkinson's disease could begin in the gut and spread to the brain via the vagus nerve.
