Pancreatic Islets Communicate With the Brain via Vagal Sensory Neurons

SUMMARY Depleting visceral sensory nerves affects pancreatic islet function, glucose metabolism and diabetes onset, but how islet endocrine cells interact with sensory neurons has not been studied. Here we show that the pancreatic islet is innervated by vagal sensory axons expressing substance P, calcitonin-gene related peptide, and serotonin receptor 5HT3R. Vagal neurons projecting to the pancreas terminate in the commissural nucleus of the solitary tract. These neurons respond to chemical but not mechanical stimulation of the pancreas. By recording activity from nodose neurons in vivo and from sensory axons in living pancreas slices, we show that sensory nerves respond to serotonin secreted from stimulated beta cells. Serotonin is co-released with insulin and therefore conveys information about the secretory state of beta cells via vagal afferent nerves. Our study thus establishes that pancreatic islets communicate with the brain using the neural route and identifies serotonin signaling as a peripheral transduction mechanism.