2021/07/13 by Bess M. Miller, Isaac M. Oderberg, Wolfram Goessling
Medicine · #Diet, Metabolism, and Disease #Liver Disease Diagnosis and Treatment #Liver physiology and pathology
paper · doi:10.1002/hep.32055
openalex publication_date 2021/07/13 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/29
The liver is innervated by autonomic and sensory fibers of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems that regulate liver function, regeneration, and disease. Although the importance of the hepatic nervous system in maintaining and restoring liver homeostasis is increasingly appreciated, much remains unknown about the specific mechanisms by which hepatic nerves both influence and are influenced by liver diseases. While recent work has begun to illuminate the developmental mechanisms underlying recruitment of nerves to the liver, evolutionary differences contributing to species-specific patterns of hepatic innervation remain elusive. In this review, we summarize current knowledge on the development of the hepatic nervous system and its role in liver regeneration and disease. We also highlight areas in which further investigation would greatly enhance our understanding of the evolution and function of liver innervation.