Research highlights the hepatic vagal nerve’s role in regulating food intake rhythms, offering new insights for potential anti-obesity treatments . Study: Hepatic Vagal Afferents Convey Clock-Dependent Signals to Regulate Circadian Food Intake . Image Credit: alexkich/Shutterstock.
com A recent Science study found that communication between the hepatic vagal afferent nerve (HVAN) and the brain influences circadian eating patterns. In mice, surgical HVAN removal corrected altered food intake and reduced weight gain from high-fat diets, suggesting HVAN could be a target for anti-obesity treatments. Background Circadian rhythms are 24-hour cycles regulating physical, mental, and behavioral changes in animals, typically aligned with light and dark cycles.
While usually stable, these rhythms can be disrupted by changes in behavior or light exposure, as seen with jetlag or shift work, leading to desynchrony between organ systems. The suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) serves as the master circadian clock, using light cues to establish feedback loops (TTFLs) of molecular-clock genes. Recent findings show that almost all somatic cells also maintain their own TTFLs, which help balance circadian rhythms with other processes, like food intake.
Synchrony between the SCN and food-entrained liver rhythms is crucial for maintaining metabolic balance amidst environmental changes. Studies in both rodents and humans suggest that desynchrony between these systems harms’ health, increasing the ris.