Department of Neural and Behavioral Sciences, Penn State College of Medicine Hershey, PA, USA.
Front Neurosci. 2013 Nov 26;7:217. doi: 10.3389/fnins.2013.00217. eCollection 2013.
Glucose sensing within autonomic neurocircuits is critical for the effective integration and regulation of a variety of physiological homeostatic functions including the co-ordination of vagally-mediated reflexes regulating gastrointestinal (GI) functions. Glucose regulates GI functions via actions at multiple sites of action, from modulating the activity of enteric neurons, endocrine cells, and glucose transporters within the intestine, to regulating the activity and responsiveness of the peripheral terminals, cell bodies and central terminals of vagal sensory neurons, to modifying both the activity and synaptic responsiveness of central brainstem neurons. Unsurprisingly, significant impairment in GI functions occurs in pathophysiological states where glucose levels are dysregulated, such as diabetes. A substantial obstacle to the development of new therapies to modify the disease, rather than treat the symptoms, are the gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms by which glucose modulates GI functions, particularly vagally-mediated responses and a more complete understanding of disease-related plasticity within these neurocircuits may open new avenues and targets for research.
自主神经回路中的葡萄糖感应对于有效整合和调节各种生理稳态功能至关重要，包括协调迷走神经介导的调节胃肠道 (GI) 功能的反射。葡萄糖通过在多个作用部位发挥作用来调节 GI 功能，从调节肠道内的肠神经元、内分泌细胞和葡萄糖转运体的活性，到调节迷走感觉神经元的外周末梢、胞体和中枢末梢的活性和反应性，再到调节中枢脑干神经元的活性和突触反应性。毫不奇怪，在葡萄糖水平失调的病理生理状态下，GI 功能会严重受损，例如糖尿病。开发新的治疗方法来改变疾病而不是治疗症状的一个主要障碍是，我们对葡萄糖调节 GI 功能的机制的理解存在差距，特别是迷走神经介导的反应和对这些神经回路中与疾病相关的可塑性的更全面理解可能会为研究开辟新的途径和目标。
