Thayer Julian F, Sternberg Esther
Department of Psychology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA.
Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2006 Nov;1088:361-72. doi: 10.1196/annals.1366.014.
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays a role in a wide range of somatic and mental diseases. Whereas the role of the ANS in the regulation of the cardiovascular system seems evident, its role in the regulation of other systems associated with allostasis is less clear. Using a model of neurovisceral integration we describe how the ANS and parasympathetic tone in particular may be associated with the regulation of allostatic systems associated with glucose regulation, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis function, and inflammatory processes. Decreased vagal function and heart rate variability (HRV) were shown to be associated with increased fasting glucose and hemoglobin A1c levels, increased overnight urinary cortisol, and increased proinflammatory cytokines and acute-phase proteins. All of these factors have been associated with increased allostatic load and poor health. Thus, vagal activity appears to play an inhibitory function in the regulation of allostatic systems. The prefrontal cortex and the amygdala are important central nervous system structures linked to the regulation of these allostatic systems via the vagus nerve. Finally, the identification of this neurovisceral regulatory system may help to illuminate the pathway via which psychosocial factors may influence health and disease.
自主神经系统（ANS）在多种躯体和精神疾病中发挥作用。虽然ANS在心血管系统调节中的作用似乎很明显，但其在与稳态应变负荷相关的其他系统调节中的作用尚不清楚。我们使用神经内脏整合模型来描述ANS，特别是副交感神经张力，如何与与血糖调节、下丘脑-垂体-肾上腺（HPA）轴功能和炎症过程相关的稳态系统调节相关联。迷走神经功能降低和心率变异性（HRV）与空腹血糖和糖化血红蛋白水平升高、夜间尿皮质醇增加、促炎细胞因子和急性期蛋白增加有关。所有这些因素都与稳态应变负荷增加和健康状况不佳有关。因此，迷走神经活动似乎在稳态系统的调节中发挥抑制作用。前额叶皮层和杏仁核是重要的中枢神经系统结构，通过迷走神经与这些稳态系统的调节相关联。最后，识别这种神经内脏调节系统可能有助于阐明心理社会因素影响健康和疾病的途径。
