title: Differential c-Fos expression in the newborn lamb nucleus tractus solitarius and area postrema following ingestion of colostrum or saline.
abstract: Visceral stimuli and the gut-brain axis play a crucial role in the control of ingestion even in the neonate. The aim of this study was to assess the neuronal activation in the nucleus tractus solitarius (NTS) and the area postrema (AP) following nutritional and non-nutritional stimulations. Lambs received a single gastric infusion of colostrum or saline at 5% birth weight or were sham infused. Infusion of either liquid led to c-Fos-like immunoreactivity (c-FLI) in the NTS and AP. Differences were observed along the sections of the NTS rostro-caudal axis according to the nature of the stimulation, suggesting a specificity of certain afferents and/or NTS areas for nutritional or non-nutritional signals. In the AP, the neuronal activation induced by colostrum was much higher than that induced by saline. A higher number of TH-immunoreactive cells were activated following colostrum infusion, suggesting a specific involvement of the catecholaminergic pathway in the treatment of meal-related stimuli. In spite of functional convergence, the two medullary structures observed responded differently according to the stimulation, indicating a complementary role in the integration of visceral signals.
authors.affiliation: UMR 6175 CNRS-INRA-Université de Tours-Haras Nationaux, Equipe de Comportement, F-37380 Nouzilly, France.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Val-Laillet
authors.forename: Maryse
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Meurisse
authors.forename: Yves
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tillet
authors.forename: Raymond
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Nowak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D031608:Area Postrema / Q000378:metabolism*; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D003126:Colostrum / Q000378:metabolism*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D006041:Goats; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos / Q000378:metabolism*; D012965:Sodium Chloride / Q000494:pharmacology; D017552:Solitary Nucleus / Q000378:metabolism*; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D016760:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-fos; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D014446:Tyrosine 3-Monooxygenase