Abdominal Vagal Afferents Modulate the Brain Transcriptome and Behaviors Relevant to Schizophrenia.

ABSTRACT: Reduced activity of vagal efferents has long been implicated in schizophrenia and appears to be responsible for diminished parasympathetic activity and associated peripheral symptoms such as low heart rate variability and cardiovascular complications in affected individuals. In contrast, only little attention has been paid to the possibility that impaired afferent vagal signaling may be relevant for the disorder's pathophysiology as well. The present study explored this hypothesis using a model of subdiaphragmatic vagal deafferentation (SDA) in male rats. SDA represents the most complete and selective vagal deafferentation method existing to date as it leads to complete disconnection of all abdominal vagal afferents while sparing half of the abdominal vagal efferents. Using next-generation

SUBMITTER: Klarer M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6705869 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature