articleScience AdvancesJan 30, 2026GOLD OA

The gut-brain vagal axis governs mesolimbic dopamine dynamics and reward events

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université Paris Cité · +10 more institutions

PubMed
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Abstract

Reward processes have traditionally been ascribed to dopamine (DA)-associated circuits. While external stimuli, such as food and drugs of abuse, are activators of DA-neuron activity, growing evidence indicates that interoceptive signals also play a critical role. Among these, the gut-brain vagal axis has emerged as a key regulator, although its precise contribution to mesolimbic DA signaling and behavior remains unclear. Here, we combine complementary ex vivo and in vivo approaches across multiple scales to show that gut-brain vagal tone is essential for gating mesolimbic DA system activity and functions, modulating DA-dependent molecular and cellular processes, and scaling both food- and drug-induced…

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