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Publications

Journal Article Review Epublish 2 citations

PubMed: 38115148 DOI: 10.1186/s42234-023-00132-3

The brain-liver cholinergic anti-inflammatory pathway and viral infections.

Bioelectron Med 9(1):29

Authors: Samuel Martínez-Meza, Bhavya Singh, Douglas F Nixon, Nicholas Dopkins, Louie Mar A Gangcuangco

Affiliations

  • Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
  • Division of Infectious Diseases, Department of Medicine, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, USA.
  • Hawaii Center for AIDS, Department of Medicine, John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa, Honolulu, HI, USA.

Abstract

Efferent cholinergic signaling is a critical and targetable source of immunoregulation. The vagus nerve (VN) is the primary source of cholinergic signaling in the body, and partially innervates hepatic functionality through the liver-brain axis. Virus-induced disruption of cholinergic signaling may promote pathogenesis in hepatotropic and neurotropic viruses. Therefore, restoring VN functionality could be a novel therapeutic strategy to alleviate pathogenic inflammation in hepatotropic and neurotropic viral infections alike. In this minireview, we discuss the physiological importance of cholinergic signaling in maintaining liver-brain axis homeostasis. Next, we explore mechanisms by which the VN is perturbed by viral infections, and how non-invasive restoration of cholinergic signaling pathways with bioelectronic medicine (BEM) might ameliorate hepatic inflammation and neuroinflammation in certain viral infections.

MeSH

Infections, Cholinergic Agents, Virus Diseases, Brain, Liver, Viruses