Premium
The roles of peripheral serotonin in metabolic homeostasis
Author(s) -
El-Merahbi Rabih,
Löffler Mona,
Mayer Alexander,
Sumara Grzegorz
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
febs letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.593
H-Index - 257
eISSN - 1873-3468
pISSN - 0014-5793
DOI - 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.05.054
Subject(s) - serotonin , homeostasis , hormone , neurotransmitter , paracrine signalling , biology , endocrinology , medicine , neuroscience , central nervous system , receptor , biochemistry
Metabolic homeostasis in the organism is assured both by the nervous system and by hormones. Among a plethora of hormones regulating metabolism, serotonin presents a number of unique features. Unlike classical hormones serotonin is produced in different anatomical locations. In brain it acts as a neurotransmitter and in the periphery it can act as a hormone, auto‐ and/or paracrine factor, or intracellular signaling molecule. Serotonin does not cross the blood–brain barrier; therefore the two major pools of this bioamine remain separated. Although 95% of serotonin is produced in the periphery, its functions have been ignored until recently. Here we review the impact of the peripheral serotonin on the regulation of function of the organs involved in glucose and lipid homeostasis.