Identification of Spinal Afferent Nerve Endings in the Colonic Mucosa and Submucosa That Communicate Directly With the Spinal Cord: The Gut-Brain Axis.

 Abstract: The major sensory nerve pathway between the colon and central nervous system (spinal cord and brain) that underlies the gut-brain axis, is via spinal afferent neurons, with cell bodies in dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Our aim was to identify the sensory nerve endings in the colon that arise from single colorectal-projecting DRG neurons. C57BL/6 mice were anesthetized and lumbosacral L6-S1 DRG injected with dextran biotin. Mice recovered for 7 days. 

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