RETRACTED: Effect of a neural relay on liver regeneration in mice: activation of serotonin release from the gastrointestinal tract

• Published in: FEBS Open Bio
• Main Authors: Ryosuke Inoue, Kenya Kamimura, Takuro Nagoya, Norihiro Sakai, Takeshi Yokoo, Ryo Goto, Kohei Ogawa, Yoko Shinagawa‐Kobayashi, Yukari Watanabe‐Mori, Akira Sakamaki, Satoshi Abe, Hiroteru Kamimura, Norio Miyamura, Hiroshi Nishina, Shuji Terai
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2018-03-01
• Subjects: gastrointestinal tract; hormone; liver regeneration; neural relay; serotonin
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1002/2211-5463.12382

The development of therapeutic options to promote hepatic regeneration following severe liver injury is essential. While humoral factors have been reported as mechanisms of liver regeneration, the contributions of interorgan communication to liver regeneration have not been reported. In this study, we examined the effect of a neural relay on liver regeneration via activation of serotonin release from the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Our results demonstrated that the afferent visceral nerve from the liver activates the efferent vagus nerve from the brain, leading to activation of serotonin release from the GI tract and contributing to liver regeneration. While it is difficult to apply these results directly to human health, we believe that this study may represent a step toward developing essential therapeutics to promote liver regeneration.