Plastic alteration of autonomic nervous system induced by gravitational change: Communication between vestibular system and C1 neurons in medulla oblongata – Publicly Invited Research 2018－2019

  1. A01 Ogura
  2. A01 H. Takahashi
  3. A01 S. Takahashi
  4. A01 Michiue
  5. A01 Hinoi
  6. A01 Tsumoto
  7. A01 Nikawa
  8. A01 Chatani
  9. A01 Kawakami
  10. A01 Akiyama
  11. A01 Tomita
  1. A02 Shinohara
  2. A02 Mieda
  3. A02 Maekawa
  4. A02 Abe
  5. A02 Ohgami
  6. A02 Kawano
  7. A02 Takano
  1. A03 Suzuki
  2. A03 Nakamura
  3. A03 Harada
  4. A03 Kobayashi
  5. A03 Miyamoto
  6. A03 Funayama
  7. A03 Kakinuma
  1. B01 Lazarus
  2. B01 Kato
  3. B01 Kunieda
  4. B01 Kitaya
  5. B01 Sawano
Research Subject Plastic alteration of autonomic nervous system induced by gravitational change: Communication between vestibular system and C1 neurons in medulla oblongata
Research Group Leader
name
Chikara Abe
Associate Professor, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine
Website
http://www.med.gifu-u.ac.jp/labo/physiol/ (*Written in Japanese)
Research Collaborator(s)
  • Hironobu Morita
    Professor, Gifu University Graduate School of Medicine

We are surrounded by a wide variety of stressors. Feedback control system is important for physiological homeostasis against physical and psychological stressors. This control system includes three factors: 1) sensors, 2) center (brain), and 3) effectors. In this feedback control system, C1 neurons, which are adrenergic neurons in the medulla oblongata, are one of the neurons that play a central role. C1 neurons are activated by physical and psychological stressors such as hypoxia, hypotension, hypoglycemia, and infection. These neurons regulate autonomic nerves system (ANS) and/or hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal system to overcome the stressors. On the other hand, the peripheral vestibular apparatus in the inner ear is a sensory organ for detecting gravitational change. Conventional functions of the vestibular system is to maintain body balance.  However recently studies show that the vestibular system is also participating in the control of autonomic nervous system, metabolism, muscle / bone system, and immunity. One feature of the vestibular system is plasticity. Plastic alteration of the vestibular system is occurred by different environments and conditions such as microgravity environment and bedridden. This plasticity might contribute to dysfunction of maintaining the physiological homeostasis via the vestibular system, this mechanism including vestibular-C1 neurons pathway is unknown. To examine this, we raised three purposes as follows; 1) to clarify the pathway from the peripheral vestibular organ to C1 neurons in medulla oblongata, 2) to clarify the mechanism of changing in autonomic nervous response via the C1 neurons by vestibular plasticity, and 3) to clarify the mechanism of changing in autonomic nervous response by the plastic alteration in C1 neurons.