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World J Gastroenterol. Jul 7, 2022; 28(25): 2910-2919
Published online Jul 7, 2022. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v28.i25.2910
Multiple roles for cholinergic signaling in pancreatic diseases
Jun-Min Yang, Xiao-Yu Yang, Jian-Hua Wan
Jun-Min Yang, Xiao-Yu Yang, Jian-Hua Wan, Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China
Author contributions: Yang JM and Yang XY conceived the study, participated in the design, and drafted the manuscript; Wan JH edited and checked the manuscript; all of the authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China, No. 82100686.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Jian-Hua Wan, MD, PhD, Doctor, Department of Gastroenterology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University, No. 17 Yongwaizheng Street, Nanchang 330006, Jiangxi Province, China. 18942337437@163.com
Received: February 20, 2022
Peer-review started: February 20, 2022
First decision: May 9, 2022
Revised: May 18, 2022
Accepted: June 13, 2022
Article in press: June 13, 2022
Published online: July 7, 2022
Processing time: 133 Days and 22.2 Hours
Abstract

Cholinergic nerves are widely distributed throughout the human body and participate in various physiological activities, including sensory, motor, and visceral activities, through cholinergic signaling. Cholinergic signaling plays an important role in pancreatic exocrine secretion. A large number of studies have found that cholinergic signaling overstimulates pancreatic acinar cells through muscarinic receptors, participates in the onset of pancreatic diseases such as acute pancreatitis and chronic pancreatitis, and can also inhibit the progression of pancreatic cancer. However, cholinergic signaling plays a role in reducing pain and inflammation through nicotinic receptors, but enhances the proliferation and invasion of pancreatic tumor cells. This review focuses on the progression of cholinergic signaling and pancreatic diseases in recent years and reveals the role of cholinergic signaling in pancreatic diseases.

Keywords: Acetylcholine; Muscarinic receptors; Nicotinic receptors; Pancreatic exocrine; Pancreatitis; Pancreatic cancer

Core Tip: The pancreas is a nerve-rich organ that lies behind the peritoneum and is surrounded by many nerve plexuses. Studies have found that cholinergic signaling is involved in the physiological function of the pancreas and the pathological process of pancreatic diseases due to its action on different receptors. Perhaps starting with cholinergic receptors could uncover potential therapeutic targets for pancreatic diseases.