Question

Describe the evidence supporting (1) stomach to brain nerve circuits vs. (2) hormonal control of eating and weight control. (Describe at least one of the studies done to support the hormonal theory.)

Answer 1

Recent research works proved that there is a superfast gut-brain pathway happening in our body. Initially, it was thought that the hormones released from the gut neuron cells travel through the bloodstream and give the message to the brain. However, now it has been found that stimulation of vagus nerve which innervates gut traveling from brain downwards is the one that serves as a pathway for this superfast gut-brain signaling. A piece of evidence for this was the one which was obtained while experimenting with the mice. When a fluorescent rabies virus was introduced to its gut, the enteroendocrine cells were found to release glutamate to the vagus nerve which was send so fastly to the brain that it took less than 100 milliseconds.

As far as hormonal control of eating and weight control is concerned, the study mentioned above would be of great help. This is because controlling the secretion of hormones from the enteroendocrine cells will not solely serve the purpose of weight reduction as in the case of obesity. The vagus nerve is the one which must be stimulated in such a manner as to enable change in eating behavior of patient thereby bringing down weight loss.