Phase modulation of hormonal oscillations


الملخص بالإنكليزية

Dynamic equilibrium is maintained by counter-regulating elements in living systems. The pancreatic {alpha} and {beta} cells produce glucagon and insulin for glucose homeostasis. They exist in multiple micro-organs, the islets of Langerhans, not in a single gigantic organ, in which the two reciprocal cells interact to each other, and also with an additional cell type, {delta} cell. We found that the positive/negative interactions between the islet cells are designed not only to reduce the wasteful zero-sum action of glucagon and insulin, but also to enhance/suppress synchronization of hormone secretions between islets under high/normal glucose conditions. Thus we suggest that the anti-symmetric interaction between three cell populations can organize an effective network motif for controlling network synchronization.

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