About this Research Topic
In human patients with hypertension, existing therapeutic treatments show a low successful rate to control blood pressure. This is mainly because cardiovascular problems are closely associated with other physiological parameters, including metabolic complications. Indeed, metabolic syndrome, a world spreading health concern, includes metabolic disorders, such as obesity, hyperinsulinemia, insulin resistance, and diabetes, as well as cardiovascular problems including hypertension. Therefore, understanding of where and how reciprocal interaction between the metabolic and cardiovascular systems occurs is critical to develop better treatment for metabolic syndrome. The cause of metabolic syndrome development is multifaceted, however, mechanisms in the central nervous system (CNS) are directly implicated in normal cardio-metabolic homeostasis as well as in the development of the metabolic syndrome. Consistently, accumulating investigations have recently recognized an interaction between metabolic and cardiovascular signaling molecules through the CNS to regulate cardio-metabolic physiology.
GOAL
The metabolic and cardiovascular systems are reciprocally associated with each other, and impairment in one system can directly affect pathophysiological development on the other side. Although accumulating evidence indicates an active participation of the CNS in regulating normal as well as pathophysiological cardio-metabolic condition, the intricate intra- and inter-cellular mechanisms within the CNS in cardio-metabolism regulation remain vastly understudied. Therefore, this Research Topic focuses to uncover where and how crosstalk between metabolic and cardiovascular signaling occurs within the CNS to regulate cardio-metabolic homeostasis. In addition to traditional tools, combination of recent state-of-art technologies in biomedical field, such as optogenetics, electrophysiological recordings, single cell-targeted approaches, and anatomical/histological technologies including tissue clearing and high-quality imaging, together with behavioral and whole body physiological recordings are especially welcome.
SCOPE AND INFORMATION FOR AUTHORS
Appropriate information processing in brain occurs via dynamic intra- and inter-cellular communication, through the series of genetic, molecular, cellular and synaptic network modification. Therefore, the scope of the proposed Research Topic entitled “Crosstalk Between the Metabolic and Cardiovascular Systems in the Brain” will cover a broad spectrum of biomedical research within the CNS system, from single cell level (eg. gene transcription to protein synthesis and modification) to local and regional networks (neurotransmitter release, synaptic modification and reorganization), involved in the cardio-metabolic homeostasis. It is welcome for original research articles as well as mini-reviews and reviews covering recent important findings in central regulation of cardio-metabolic physiology.
Keywords: Brain, Metabolism, Cardiovascular science, Cardiometabolism, Obesity, Diabetes, Hypertension, Sympathetic nerve activation, Neuroendocrine
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