Studies on the role of insulin signaling in the autonomic nervous system

摘要

Studies on the role of insulin signaling in the autonomic nervous system It is well known that cholinergic neurons of the autonomic ner- vous system (ANS) regulate variety of physiological events such as glucose homeostasis and energy metabolism. However, it remains incompletely understood how insulin and insulin receptors affect cholinergic neurons and their function. In this study, we aimed to elucidate the effects of insulin on the cholinergic neurons and the physiological function of insulin receptors expressed on cholinergic neurons. To this end, we utilized the ChAT-IRES-Cre mouse model, which can target cholinergic preganglionic neurons of both sym- pathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. Using patch clamp recordings, we found that insulin inhibits identified parasympa- thetic preganglionic neurons within the dorsal motor nucleus of vagus nerve (DMV). On the other hand, insulin did not change activity of identified sympathetic preganglionic neurons within the.