自律神経系を介した臓器間ネットワークによる代謝調節

Regulation of Systemic Metabolism by Autonomic Nerve-Mediated Inter-Organ Networks

自律神経には末梢臓器機能を制御する遠心性線維のみならず，末梢臓器から中枢神経に向かう求心性線維も含まれる。これら双方向性の神経線維に加え，求心性線維によって末梢臓器から中枢神経に伝達された代謝情報を基に，遠心性線維を介して末梢臓器の代謝状態を制御する，自律神経を介した臓器間ネットワークシステムが個体レベルでの恒常性維持に関わっていることが明らかになってきた。

Abstract

Autonomic nerves, including sympathetic nerves and parasympathetic nerves, innervate organs and modulate those function, thereby regulating systemic metabolism. Autonomic nerve bundles contain both afferent and efferent nerve fibers, and both fibers play important roles in regulating systemic metabolism for maintenance of homeostasis at the whole-body level. Furthermore, recently-obtained evidence unraveled the metabolic regulatory systems through autonomic nerve-mediated inter-organ networks. In these systems, afferent innervations of autonomic nerves transmit metabolic information from peripheral organs to the central nervous system (CNS), and the CNS regulates organ functions based on the transmitted metabolic information through efferent innervations of autonomic nerves. In this review, autonomic nerve-mediated inter-organ networks that are involved in systemic metabolism are introduced, especially focusing on the liver-brain-pancreatic β-cell inter-organ network.