ABSTRACT
Neuroscience and gastroenterology developed independently for many years despite early clinical reports by Cabanis (1) and Beaumont (2) followed by Pavlov’s experimental work (3) demonstrating that the brain influences gut function. The
concept of the autonomic nervous system derived largely from Langley (4), particularly the notion that the enteric nervous system (ENS) embedded within the gut wall has features that distinguish it from the components of the parasympathetic and sympathetic divisions. The last two decades have witnessed an explosive growth of interdisciplinary research on brain-gut interactions, and the pathophysiological relevance of these interconnected systems is emerging (5,6). Advances in more precise anatomical and electrophysiological techniques and the characterization of many neuropeptides and their receptors in the brain provided novel insight into the mechanisms through which the brain regulates gastrointestinal (GI) function. In addition, the demonstration that peptides exert potent actions in the brain to influence GI function through vagal pathways (7) and act peripherally on vagal afferents (8) renewed interest in the implications of the autonomic nervous system in the cross-talk between the brain and the gut.
