Role of PI3K/Akt/GSK-3 Pathway in Emesis and Potential New Antiemetics.

Nausea and vomiting are protective defense mechanisms by which vomit competent species avoid ingestion of potentially toxic substances. More specifically, vomiting is the act of forceful expulsion of gastrointestinal contents through the mouth, whereas nausea is an unpleasant painless subjective feeling that one will imminently vomit. Severe or chronic vomiting can become detrimental due to significant loss of fluid and ion imbalance. The act of vomiting is usually preceded by retching, where the gastrointestinal tract contents are forced into the esophagus, without the vomitus being expelled [1]. While significant knowledge exists on the neurotransmitter and anatomical basis of vomiting [2-4], nausea is the neglected symptom and its anatomical neurochemistry remains to be fully defined.