RESEARCH ARTICLE TRPV1 Channels and Gastric Vagal Afferent Signalling in Lean and High Fat Diet Induced Obese Mice

Aim Within the gastrointestinal tract vagal afferents play a role in control of food intake and sati-ety signalling. Activation of mechanosensitive gastric vagal afferents induces satiety. How-ever, gastric vagal afferent responses to mechanical stretch are reduced in high fat diet mice. Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 channels (TRPV1) are expressed in vagal afferents and knockout of TRPV1 reduces gastro-oesophageal vagal afferent responses to stretch. We aimed to determine the role of TRPV1 on gastric vagal afferent mechanosensi-tivity and food intake in lean and HFD-induced obese mice. Methods TRPV1+/+ and-/- mice were fed either a standard laboratory diet or high fat diet for 20wks. Gastric emptying of a solid meal and gastric vagal afferent mechanosensitivity was determined. Results Gastric emptying was delayed in high fat diet mice but there was no difference betwee