Gastrointestinal Tract Role in Neural Control of Metabolism, Food Intake and Body Weight: A Summary

The gastrointestinal tract (GIT) is the center organ in the homeostatic long-term regulation of metabolism and short-term regulation of food intake, and therefore it also regulates hunger, satiety, and body weight. Both long-term and short-term regulation are represented in neural networks of hypothalamus and dorsal vagal complex (DVC) of the caudal brain stem and are under cortical control. The feedback signals from the GIT and fat tissue are neural, hormonal, and nutritive to the DVC (satiety signals) and hypothalamus (adipositas signals and satiety signals). The hypothalamic neurons form catabolic and anabolic networks that inhibit one another reciprocally and are integrated with reflex circuits in the DVC.