Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Department of Health Studies and Gerontology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada.
Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2011;98:133-86. doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-385506-0.00004-1.
A steadily growing number of studies have begun to establish that the brain and insulin, while traditionally viewed as separate, do indeed have a relationship. The uptake of pancreatic insulin, along with neuronal biosynthesis, provides neural tissue with the hormone. As well, insulin acts upon a neuronal receptor that, although a close reflection of its peripheral counterpart, is characterized by unique structural and functional properties. One distinction is that the neural variant plays only a limited part in neuronal glucose transport. However, a number of other roles for neural insulin are gradually emerging; most significant among these is the modulation of ligand-gated ion channel (LGIC) trafficking. Notably, insulin has been shown to affect the tone of synaptic transmission by regulating cell-surface expression of inhibitory and excitatory receptors. The manner in which insulin regulates receptor movement may provide a cellular mechanism for insulin-mediated neuroprotection in the absence of hypoglycemia and stimulate the exploration of new therapeutic opportunities.
越来越多的研究开始证实，大脑和胰岛素虽然传统上被视为两个独立的系统，但它们确实存在关联。胰腺胰岛素的摄取以及神经元的生物合成为神经组织提供了激素。此外，胰岛素作用于神经元受体，尽管与外周受体非常相似，但它具有独特的结构和功能特性。一个区别是，神经型胰岛素仅在神经元葡萄糖转运中发挥有限的作用。然而，神经胰岛素的其他一些作用逐渐显现出来；其中最重要的是调节配体门控离子通道（LGIC）的运输。值得注意的是，胰岛素通过调节抑制性和兴奋性受体的细胞表面表达来影响突触传递的张力。胰岛素调节受体运动的方式可能为胰岛素介导的神经保护提供了一种细胞机制，而无需低血糖，并刺激探索新的治疗机会。
