Vagus-macrophage-hepatocyte link promotes post-injury liver regeneration and whole-body survival through hepatic FoxM1 activation

How the liver repairs itself

30 September 2019

The liver regenerates after injury thanks to a multistep molecular cascade that starts in the vagus nerve, one of the cranial nerves that connect the brain to the body, and works through white blood cells that serve as intermediaries.

The findings of a mouse study led by scientists at Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine could lead to novel strategies for promoting survival in people following liver damage.

The researchers showed that the vagus nerve secretes a neurotransmitter called acetylcholine after part of the mouse liver is surgical removed. White blood cells known as macrophages receive the vagal signal and start releasing a molecule that prompts liver cells to increase their production of FoxM1, a regulatory protein implicated in tissue regeneration — and, thus, whole-body survival.

The study is the first to demonstrate that vagal signaling works through macrophages to control the regenerative process of organs.

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References

1. Nature Communications 9, 5300 (2018). doi: 10.1038/s41467-018-07747-0