title: Neurotensin and its receptors in the control of glucose homeostasis.
abstract: The pharmacological roles of the neuropeptide neurotensin through its three known receptors are various and complex. Neurotensin is involved in several important biological functions including analgesia and hypothermia in the central nervous system and also food intake and glucose homeostasis in the periphery. This review focuses on recent works dealing with molecular mechanisms regulating blood glucose level and insulin secretion upon neurotensin action. Investigations on crucial cellular components involved in the protective effect of the peptide on beta cells are also detailed. The role of xenin, a neurotensin-related peptide, on the regulation of insulin release by glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide is summarized. The last section comments on the future research areas which should be developed to address the function of new effectors of the neurotensinergic system in the endocrine pancreas.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Pharmacologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, UMR 7275, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Nice-Sophia Antipolis Valbonne, France.
authors.forename: Jean
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mazella
authors.forename: Sophie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Béraud-Dufour
authors.forename: Christelle
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Devader
authors.forename: Fabienne
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Massa
authors.forename: Thierry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Coppola