Stimulation of the vagus nerve connected to the pancreas in mice with blue light increases blood insulin and the number of β cells. The image shows a cluster of beta (green) cells in islets of Langerhans in the pancreas. Nuclei of growing β cells are shown in pink with white arrowheads. Credit: Junta Imai et al.
Insulin is a hormone that lowers blood sugar. The only cells that produce insulin are the beta cells of the pancreas (β cells), and their depletion is a major cause of diabetes. Although therapies to increase pancreatic β cells are highly anticipated, no strategies to increase β cells have been developed so far.
In a promising advance, a research group from Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine has revealed that stimulation of autonomic vagal nerves connected to the pancreas can improve function and also increase the number of pancreatic β cells in mice .
The group, led by Associate Professor Junta Imai, Assistant Professor Yohei Kawana and Professor Hideki Katagiri, published their findings in the journal Natural biomedical engineering on November 9, 2023.
“Using optogenetics, we first developed a way to individually stimulate the vagus nerve leading to the pancreas in mice,” explains Imai. “This new method resulted in a marked increase in the amount of insulin in the blood when sugar was administered, indicating improved β-cell function.”
Additional stimulation of this nerve over two weeks more than doubled the initial number of β cells. Stimulation of pancreatic vagal nerves activated β cells in both quality and quantity.
When Imai and colleagues applied this method to a mouse model of insulin-deficient diabetes, regeneration of pancreatic β cells improved diabetes in these mice. This is the first successful treatment of diabetes in mice by stimulating the vagal nerves connected to the pancreas.
“We hope that our achievements will lead to the development of new strategies and preventive methods against diabetes,” adds Imai. “We also hope that this will advance our understanding of the mechanisms that regulate pancreatic β-cell function and number, as well as the causes of diabetes.”
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Stimulation of the pancreatic vagus nerve connected to the pancreas increased blood insulin after sugar administration (a) and β-cell number (b). The brown area indicated pancreatic β cells grouped in the islets of Langerhans. Credit: Junta Imai et al.
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Stimulation of the pancreatic vagal nerve connected to the pancreas restored depleted β cells in diabetic mice (a) and improved blood sugar levels. Credit: Junta Imai et al.
More information:
Yohei Kawana et al, Optogenetic stimulation of vagal nerves for enhanced glucose-stimulated insulin secretion and β-cell proliferation, Natural biomedical engineering (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41551-023-01113-2
Provided by Tohoku University
Quote: Research finds that stimulating nerves connected to the pancreas can regenerate insulin-producing cells (December 4, 2023) retrieved December 4, 2023 from
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