Hepatic vagal afferents convey clock-dependent signals to regulate circadian food intake

Circadian desynchrony caused by factors like shift work or jet lag negatively affects metabolic health, but the mechanisms by which signals are transmitted between tissues during such desynchrony are not well understood. This study by Woodie et al. (2024) demonstrates that dysfunction in the liver’s molecular clock communicates with the brain via the hepatic vagal afferent nerve (HVAN), which leads to disruptions in food intake patterns. However, these disruptions can be corrected by ablating the HVAN. Additionally, hepatic branch vagotomy prevents food intake disturbances caused by a high-fat diet and limits body weight gain. These results reveal a feedback loop that involves communication between the liver and brain to regulate circadian food intake patterns, suggesting that the hepatic vagus nerve could be a promising therapeutic target for obesity in cases of circadian disruption. [NPID: Circadian desynchrony, shiftwork, jet lag, liver molecular clock, hepatic vagal afferent nerve, HVAN, food intake patterns, high-fat diet, body weight gain, chronodisruption]

Year: 2024

Reference: Woodie, L. N., Melink, L. C., Midha, M., de Araújo, A. M., Geisler, C. E., Alberto, A. J., Krusen, B. M., Zundell, D. M., de Lartigue, G., Hayes, M. R., & Lazar, M. A. (2024). Hepatic vagal afferents convey clock-dependent signals to regulate circadian food intake. Science, 386(6722), 673–677. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adn2786