Leptin Controls Parasympathetic Wiring of the Pancreas during Embryonic Life.
Cell Rep
; 15(1): 36-44, 2016 Apr 05.
Article
in En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-27052164
ABSTRACT
The autonomic nervous system plays a critical role in glucose metabolism through both its sympathetic and parasympathetic branches, but the mechanisms that underlie the development of the autonomic innervation of the pancreas remain poorly understood. Here, we report that cholinergic innervation of pancreatic islets develops during mid-gestation under the influence of leptin. Leptin-deficient mice display a greater cholinergic innervation of pancreatic islets beginning in embryonic life, and this increase persists into adulthood. Remarkably, a single intracerebroventricular injection of leptin in embryos caused a permanent reduction in parasympathetic innervation of pancreatic ß cells and long-term impairments in glucose homeostasis. These developmental effects of leptin involve a direct inhibitory effect on the outgrowth of preganglionic axons from the hindbrain. These studies reveal an unanticipated regulatory role of leptin on the parasympathetic nervous system during embryonic development and may have important implications for our understanding of the early mechanisms that contribute to diabetes.
Full text:
1
Collection:
01-internacional
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Parasympathetic Nervous System
/
Islets of Langerhans
/
Leptin
/
Neuronal Outgrowth
Limits:
Animals
Language:
En
Journal:
Cell Rep
Year:
2016
Document type:
Article
Affiliation country:
United States