title: Glucosensing in the gastrointestinal tract: Impact on glucose metabolism.
abstract: The gastrointestinal tract is an important interface of exchange between ingested food and the body. Glucose is one of the major dietary sources of energy. All along the gastrointestinal tube, e.g., the oral cavity, small intestine, pancreas, and portal vein, specialized cells referred to as glucosensors detect variations in glucose levels. In response to this glucose detection, these cells send hormonal and neuronal messages to tissues involved in glucose metabolism to regulate glycemia. The gastrointestinal tract continuously communicates with the brain, especially with the hypothalamus, via the gut-brain axis. It is now well established that the cross talk between the gut and the brain is of crucial importance in the control of glucose homeostasis. In addition to receiving glucosensing information from the gut, the hypothalamus may also directly sense glucose. Indeed, the hypothalamus contains glucose-sensitive cells that regulate glucose homeostasis by sending signals to peripheral tissues via the autonomous nervous system. This review summarizes the mechanisms by which glucosensors along the gastrointestinal tract detect glucose, as well as the results of such detection in the whole body, including the hypothalamus. We also highlight how disturbances in the glucosensing process may lead to metabolic disorders such as type 2 diabetes. A better understanding of the pathways regulating glucose homeostasis will further facilitate the development of novel therapeutic strategies for the treatment of metabolic diseases.
authors.affiliation: NeuroMicrobiota, European Associated Laboratory, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U1220, Institut de Recherche en Santé Digestive (IRSD), Toulouse, France;
authors.forename: Audren
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fournel
authors.affiliation: NeuroMicrobiota, European Associated Laboratory, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U1220, Institut de Recherche en Santé Digestive (IRSD), Toulouse, France;
authors.forename: Alysson
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marlin
authors.affiliation: NeuroMicrobiota, European Associated Laboratory, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U1220, Institut de Recherche en Santé Digestive (IRSD), Toulouse, France;
authors.forename: Anne
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Abot
authors.affiliation: NeuroMicrobiota, European Associated Laboratory, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U1220, Institut de Recherche en Santé Digestive (IRSD), Toulouse, France;
authors.forename: Charles
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pasquio
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Enteric NeuroScience (LENS), University of Leuven, Leuven, Belgium; and.
authors.forename: Carla
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Cirillo
authors.affiliation: NeuroMicrobiota, European Associated Laboratory, Université Catholique de Louvain (UCL), Louvain Drug Research Institute (LDRI), Metabolism and Nutrition Research Group, WELBIO (Walloon Excellence in Life sciences and BIOtechnology), Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: Patrice D
authors.initials: PD
authors.lastname: Cani
authors.affiliation: NeuroMicrobiota, European Associated Laboratory, Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) U1220, Institut de Recherche en Santé Digestive (IRSD), Toulouse, France; claude.knauf@inserm.fr.
authors.forename: Claude
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Knauf
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000502:physiology; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D006706:Homeostasis; D006801:Humans; D006943:Hyperglycemia / Q000378:metabolism*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D005947:Glucose
keywords: diabetes; glucose homeostasis; glucosensing