Autonomic nervous system and energy metabolism in humans

该项目的主要目的是研究自主神经系统在人类能量代谢调节中的作用及其在肥胖和2型糖尿病病理生理学中的可能作用。我们使用显微神经造影术来测量肌肉交感神经活动和血浆/尿儿茶酚胺来测量全局交感神经系统（SNS）活动。我们使用空腹和餐后胰多肽，瞳孔，心率/血压测试，胃排空率，以评估副交感神经系统（PNS）的活动。在过去的一年里，我们已经确定，皮马印第安人，特别是 肥胖个体与高加索人相比具有较低的SNS和较高的PNS活性。因此，我们有2个主要的正在进行的研究，以了解是否：a）皮质醇（一种抑制SNS的激素）在Pimas的低SNS活动中发挥作用。8名皮马人和15名高加索人的初步结果表明皮质醇的作用很小; B）PNS活性增加解释了皮马印第安人的高胰岛素血症特征。阿托品（一种阻断PNS的药物）研究已在4名白人和5名Pimas中完成。

This main aim of this project is to study the role of the autonomic nervous system in the regulation of energy metabolism in humans and its possible role in the pathophysiology of obesity and type 2 diabetes. We use microneurography to measure muscle sympathetic nerve activity and plasma/urine catecholamines to measure global sympathetic nervous system (SNS)activity. We use fasting and post-prandial pancreatic polypeptide, pupillometry, heart rate/blood pressure tests, and gastric emptying rate to assess parasympathetic nervous system (PNS) activity. In the past year we have established that Pima Indians, especially obese individuals, have a lower SNS and a higher PNS activity compared to Caucasians. As a result, we have 2 main ongoing studies to understand if: a)cortisol (a hormone that inhibits SNS) has a role in the low SNS activity in the Pimas. Preliminary results in 8 Pimas and 15 Caucasians suggest a minor role of cortisol; b)the increased PNS activity explains the hyperinsulinemia that characterizes Pima Indians. Atropine (a drug that blocks PNS) studies have been completed in 4 Caucasians and 5 Pimas.