CiNet Monthly Seminar

2026年1月28日（水）
14:00-15:00
On-line開催（大会議室でのスクリーン投影も行います）

演題：脳末梢連関を介したストレス制御の神経メカニズム

東北大学 学際科学フロンティア研究所 新領域創成研究部 （大学院薬学研究科 兼任）
助教
佐々木（久我） 奈穂子

担当 : 横井 惇

Abstract:
Emotional states are influenced not only by brain activity but also by interoceptive signals from peripheral organs. For example, changes in heart rate or gut motility have been associated with anxiety and depressive disorders. In addition, electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve, a major pathway conveying interoceptive signals to the brain, has emerged as a potential therapeutic approach for depression. However, the mechanisms by which peripheral organ activity influences emotional regulation remain poorly understood. To address this issue, we established an electrophysiological recording system that enables simultaneous recordings of peripheral signals (electrocardiogram, gut motility, respiration, and vagus nerve activity) and brain activity in freely moving rodents. Using this system, we found that activity in the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, particularly in the 2–4 Hz and 20–30 Hz oscillations, negatively and positively correlates with vagus nerve activity, respectively, during behaviors related to social interaction and anxiety. This correlation was reduced in mice exhibiting strong anxiety-like behavior following social defeat stress, but vagus nerve stimulation restored both the correlation and the stress-induced behavioral changes. Beyond these peripheral–brain interactions, we are investigating how interoceptive signals modulate stress-related memory processes. Our previous study revealed that animals exhibiting more frequent hippocampal sharp-wave ripples, which are related to memory consolidation, following stressful experiences showed greater reductions in social behavior. Our current work extends this line of research, and we have found that the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus, a major hub linking peripheral physiological states to the brain, influences both hippocampal ripple activity and stress-related behavioral responses. These findings suggest that interoception may influence emotional processes through the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus–hippocampal pathways.