Anterior Gastric Branches of Anterior Vagal Trunk
Rami gastrici anteriores trunci vagalis anterioris
Read moreQuick Facts
Origin: Anterior vagal trunk.
Course: Passes along the anterior aspect of the cardia, body, and fundus of the stomach.
Branches: Anterior nerve of the lesser curvature and several unnamed anterior gastric branches.
Supply: Mixed nerves. Visceral sensory: convey sensation from the anterior regions of the stomach. Parasympathetic: innervate smooth muscle and secretory cells of the anterior aspect of stomach.
Related parts of the anatomy
Origin
The anterior gastric branches of the anterior vagal trunk are branches of the anterior vagal trunk. They contain visceral afferent fibers that originate in several layers of the stomach and parasympathetic efferent fibers originating in the posterior nucleus of the vagus nerve within the medulla oblongata (Ratcliffe, Farrar and Fox, 2011).
Course
The anterior gastric branches of the anterior vagal trunk run from the lower anterior esophageal region, along the cardia, and over the anterior aspect of the lesser curvature of the stomach. They branch to supply the anterior cardia, fundus, and body of the stomach.
Branches
The main continuation of the anterior gastric branches which follows the lesser curvature of the stomach, and from which some anterior gastric branches arise, is called the anterior nerve of the lesser curvature.
Supplied Structures
The anterior gastric branches of the anterior vagal trunk are mixed nerves that convey both visceral sensory fibers and parasympathetic efferent fibers. The visceral sensory fibers convey afferent information from the anterior stomach. The parasympathetic efferent fibers innervate the smooth muscle and secretory cells of the anterior stomach (Paxinos, 2012).
List of Clinical Correlates
—Gastric dysfunction resulting from loss of vagal input to the GI system
References
Paxinos, G. (2012) The Human Nervous System. Elsevier Science.
Ratcliffe, E. M., Farrar, N. R. and Fox, E. A. (2011) 'Development of the vagal innervation of the gut: steering the wandering nerve', Neurogastroenterology and motility : the official journal of the European Gastrointestinal Motility Society, 23(10), pp. 898-911.
