Open AccessRole of intrahepatic innervation in regulating the activity of liver cells
Author(s) -
Letiția Adela Maria Streba,
Cristin Constantin Vere,
Alin Gabriel Ionescu,
Costin Teodor Streba,
Ion Rogoveanu
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
world journal of hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.913
H-Index - 55
ISSN - 1948-5182
DOI - 10.4254/wjh.v6.i3.137
Subject(s) - medicine , efferent , hepatocyte , population , afferent , receptor , neuroscience , microbiology and biotechnology , anatomy , endocrinology , pathology , biology , biochemistry , environmental health , in vitro
Liver innervation comprises sympathetic, parasympathetic and peptidergic nerve fibers, organized as either afferent or efferent nerves with different origins and roles. Their anatomy and physiology have been studied in the past 30 years, with different results published over time. Hepatocytes are the main cell population of the liver, making up almost 80% of the total liver volume. The interaction between hepatocytes and nerve fibers is accomplished through a wealth of neurotransmitters and signaling pathways. In this short review, we have taken the task of condensing the most important data related to how the nervous system interacts with the liver and especially with the hepatocyte population, how it influences their metabolism and functions, and how different receptors and transmitters are involved in this complex process.