The functional importance of sympathetic nerves to the liver and endocrine pancreas

Sympathetic noradrenergic nerves, with their wellknown cardiovascular effects, have recently been found to influence several metabolic and hormone-releasing processes. Morphological investigations in man have revealed a dense sympathetic innervation of the liver parenchyma as well as sympathetic fib...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Annals of surgery 1979-01, Vol.189 (1), p.96-100
Main Authors: Järhult, J, Falck, B, Ingemansson, S, Nobin, A
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Adrenergic Fibers - anatomy & histology
Adrenergic Fibers - physiology
Animals
Humans
Islets of Langerhans - innervation
Islets of Langerhans - physiology
Liver - innervation
Liver - physiology
Nerve Endings - anatomy & histology
Nerve Endings - physiology
Sympathetic Nervous System - physiology
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Summary:Sympathetic noradrenergic nerves, with their wellknown cardiovascular effects, have recently been found to influence several metabolic and hormone-releasing processes. Morphological investigations in man have revealed a dense sympathetic innervation of the liver parenchyma as well as sympathetic fibers among the endocrine cells in the islets of Langerhans. Functional studies both in animals and man have shown that electrical or reflex activation of the hepatic and pancreatic sympathetic nerve fibers causes an increased output of glucose from the liver as well as a stimulation of glucagon and an inhibition of insulin release from the pancreas. From these results we conclude that damage to sympathetic nerves should be avoided in abdominal surgery.
ISSN:0003-4932
1528-1140
DOI:10.1097/00000658-197901000-00018