The pancreatic beta-cell responds to changes in the nutrient environment to maintain glucose homeostasis by adapting its function and mass. Nutrients can act directly on the beta-cell and also indirectly through the brain via autonomic nerves innervating islets. Despite the importance of the brain-islet axis in insulin secretion, relatively little is known regarding its involvement in 3-cell proliferation. We previously demonstrated that prolonged infusions of nutrients in rats provoke a dramatic increase in p-cell proliferation in part because of the direct action of nutrients. Here, we addressed the contribution of the autonomic nervous system.
展开▼
