Abstract：
Lack of liver regenerative capacity is the primary cause of hepatic failure and even mortality in patients undergoing hepatectomy, with no effective intervention strategies currently available. Therefore, identifying efficacious interventions to enhance liver regeneration is pivotal for optimizing clinical outcomes. Recent studies have demonstrated that vagotomy exerts an inhibitory effect on liver regeneration following partial hepatectomy, thereby substantiating the pivotal role played by the vagus nerve in the process of liver regeneration. In recent years, electroacupuncture (EA) has emerged as a non-invasive technique for stimulating the vagus nerve. However, EA on hepatic regeneration remains uncertain. In this study, a 70% partial hepatectomy (PH) mouse model is utilized to investigate the effects of EA on acute liver regeneration and elucidate its underlying molecular mechanisms. It is observed that EA at ST36 acutely activated cholinergic neurons in the dorsal motor nucleus of the vagus nerve (DMV), resulting in increased release of acetylcholine from hepatic vagal nerve endings and subsequent activation of IL-6 signaling in liver macrophages. Ultimately, these events promoted hepatocyte proliferation and facilitated liver regeneration. These findings provide insights into the fundamental brain-liver axis mechanism through which EA promotes liver regeneration, offering a novel therapeutic approach for post-hepatectomy liver regeneration disorders.
摘要：
肝再生能力的缺乏是肝衰竭的主要原因，甚至是肝切除术患者的死亡，目前没有有效的干预策略。因此,确定有效的干预措施以增强肝再生是优化临床结局的关键.最近的研究表明，迷走神经切断术对肝部分切除术后的肝再生有抑制作用，从而证实了迷走神经在肝再生过程中的关键作用。近年来,电针（EA）已成为刺激迷走神经的非侵入性技术。然而,EA对肝再生的影响仍不确定。在这项研究中,一个70%的部分肝切除术（PH）小鼠模型被用来研究EA对急性肝再生的影响，并阐明其潜在的分子机制。观察到在迷走神经（DMV）的背侧运动核中ST36急性激活的胆碱能神经元处的EA，导致肝迷走神经末梢的乙酰胆碱释放增加，随后激活肝巨噬细胞中的IL-6信号。最终,这些事件促进肝细胞增殖并促进肝脏再生.这些发现为EA促进肝脏再生的基本脑-肝轴机制提供了见解，为肝切除术后肝再生障碍提供了一种新的治疗方法。
