Oct 31 2023

Various factors including obesity, diabetes, etc. are related to the etiology of steatotic liver disease (SLD) including metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) etiology and resulted in the complications in various organs. As the number of patients with SLD is increasing worldwide, it is essential to elucidate the pathological conditions and develop effective treatment methods.

The research group led by Professor KAMIMURA Kenya (Department of General Medicine, Niigata University School of Medicine/Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Niigata University), NAGAYAMA Itsuo (graduate student) and Professor TERAI Shuji in the same division have clarified that the dynamics of brain peptides¹ are involved in the pathology of MASLD.

Research results

• MASLD is a disease that causes complications in various organs in the body; however, its exact etiology is unclear and there is no definitive treatment
• We have determined that the autonomic neural pathway² that connects the liver, brain, and intestines is involved in the onset and progression of MASLD.
• We have discovered that Ghrelin³ secreted from the stomach activates the growth hormone (GH) release from the pituitary gland through neural signal transduction, and growth hormone in the bloodstream induces insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) secretion from the hepatocytes, which suppresses the MASLD progression.
• We revealed that brain peptides activate GH–IGF-1 axis to prevent the progression of the early stages of MASLD pathology.

[Glossary]

1.Brain peptide
A physiologically active peptide that exists in the brain. It mediates neurotransmissions and mental activities. A peptide is a compound consisting of two or more amino acids bonded together.

2.Autonomic neural pathway
A peripheral neural pathway that consists of two nervous systems: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system. The autonomic neural pathway consists of two pathways: the efferent pathway, which regulates the functions of internal organs, and the afferent pathway, which conveys information from the internal organs to the central nervous system.

3.Ghrelin
A hormone produced in the stomach. Related to appetite.

Publication Details

Journal: Hepatology International
Title: Complementary role of peripheral and central autonomic nervous system on insulin-like growth factor-1 activation to prevent fatty liver disease
Authors: Nagayama I, Kamimura K, Owaki T, Ko M, Nagoya T, Tanaka Y, Ohkoshi M, Setsu T, Sakamaki A, Yokoo T, Kamimura H, Terai S
DOI: 10.1007/s12072-023-10601-1

News release

The article was released in EurekAlert, the online publication of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.