Effect of Organ Communication on Liver Function upon the Liver Injury

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K19537
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Research (Exploratory)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Medium-sized Section 53:Organ-based internal medicine and related fields
• Research Institution: Niigata University
• Principal Investigator: Shuji Terai 新潟大学, 医歯学系, 教授 (00332809)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 上村 顕也 新潟大学, 医歯学総合病院, 講師 (00579146) ; 上野 将紀 新潟大学, 脳研究所, 教授 (40435631)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-06-29 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 脳腸肝ネットワーク / 神経 / 臓器連関

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The development of therapeutic options to promote hepatic is essential. While humoral factors have been reported as mechanisms of liver regeneration, the contributions of inter-organ communication to liver regeneration have not been reported. Therefore, in this study, we examined the effect of neural relay on liver regeneration via activation of gastrointestinal hormone release from the gastrointestinal tract. Our results demonstrated that the afferent visceral nerve from the liver activates the efferent vagus nerve from the brain, leading to activation of hormone release from the gastrointestinal tract and contributing to the liver regeneration.

Free Research Field

消化器内科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

急性、慢性肝障害モデルマウスにおける肝臓からの求心性自律神経がその肝障害のシグナル伝達に重要で、遠心性に伝達された自律神経シグナルが、消化管ホルモンであるセロトニンやグレリンの発現増加を介して肝臓の病態悪化を防ぐ、生体の恒常性維持のために機能していることが明らかとなった。様々な疾患に関与するとされる自律神経ネットワークの肝障害での関連が明らかとなった。