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Sympathetic nerve-adipocyte interactions in response to acute stress

Gabryella S P Santos1, Alinne C Costa1, Caroline C Picoli1

  • 1Department of Pathology, Federal University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG, Brazil.

Journal of Molecular Medicine (Berlin, Germany)
|November 4, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Psychological stress activates sympathetic nerves, prompting brown fat cells to release IL-6. This cytokine impairs the body's ability to tolerate inflammatory damage, impacting metabolic health.

Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Immunology
  • Endocrinology

Background:

  • Psychological stress impacts physiological responses and disease susceptibility.
  • Understanding stress-induced molecular mechanisms is key for therapeutic development.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To elucidate the role of the sympathetic nerve-adipocyte axis in stress response.
  • To investigate the molecular mediators linking stress to inflammatory damage tolerance.

Main Methods:

  • In vivo inducible Cre/loxP systems for genetic manipulation.
  • Pharmacological inhibition strategies.
  • Analysis of cytokine production and metabolic pathways.

Main Results:

  • Psychological stress activates sympathetic nerves, leading to IL-6 production by brown adipocytes.
  • Interleukin-6 (IL-6) promotes gluconeogenesis in hepatocytes.
  • This process diminishes tolerance to inflammatory organ damage.

Conclusions:

  • The sympathetic nerve-adipocyte axis is a critical pathway in stress-induced metabolic dysregulation.
  • IL-6 produced by adipocytes mediates the decline in inflammatory damage tolerance.
  • Insights into this axis are vital for managing inflammatory diseases.
Keywords:
AdipocytesHepatocytesIL-6MicroenvironmentSympathetic nerves

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