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Mechanosensitive neurons innervating the gut and heart control metabolic and emotional state

Nature Metabolism volume 7, pages 249–250 (2025)Cite this article

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Body-to-brain communication profoundly affects physiology and behaviour. Sensory neurons that express oxytocin receptors relay mechanical stretch of the gut and heart to the brain. Surprisingly, simultaneous firing of these neurons reliably elicits a hypometabolic state that resembles torpor. These observations could have implications ranging from cardiometabolic therapeutics to space travel.

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Fig. 1: Activation of NGOxtr induces a torpor-like phenotype.

References

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This is a summary of: Scott, K. A. et al. Mechanosensation of the heart and gut elicits hypometabolism and vigilance in mice. Nat. Metab. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-024-01205-6 (2025).

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Mechanosensitive neurons innervating the gut and heart control metabolic and emotional state. Nat Metab 7, 249–250 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-024-01208-3

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