Subdiaphragmatic Vagotomy Reduces Intake of Sweet-tasting Solutions in Rats: Study

Subdiaphragmatic vagotomy reduces intake of sweet-tasting solutions in rats, and eliminate the hedonic perception produced by sucrose and saccharin in rats reports a new study. Previous studies have shown that taste information and digestion information in animals during diet intake interact with each other in the central nervous system. So, how does subdiaphragmatic vagotomy influence the intake of sweet-tasting solution in rats?

According to a study published in the Neural Regeneration Research (Vol. 8, No. 17, 2013), rats in the sham-surgery group drank more saccharin solution than sucrose solution or distilled water. Moreover, the intake of distilled water was similar between vagotomized rats and sham-surgery group rats, but significantly less sucrose and saccharin were consumed by vagotomized rats compared with rats in the sham-surgery group.

These findings indicate that subdiaphragmatic vagotomy reduces intake of sweet-tasting solution in rats, and eliminates the difference in hedonic perception induced by sweet-tasting solutions compared with distilled water. This may be due to functional loss of the vagus nerve that enhances negative feedback signals from the gastrointestinal tract.

Source: Eurekalert