Obesity: the role of hypothalamic AMP-activated protein kinase in body weight regulation.
Obesity is rapidly increasing and is of great public health concern worldwide. Although there have been remarkable developments in obesity research over the past 10 years, the molecular mechanism of obesity is still not completely understood. Body weight results from the balance between food intake and energy expenditure. Recent studies have found that hypothalamic AMP-activated protein kinase plays a key role in regulating these processes. Leptin, insulin, glucose and alpha-lipoic acid have been shown to reduce food intake by lowering hypothalamic AMP-activated protein kinase activity, whereas ghrelin and glucose depletion increase food intake by increasing hypothalamic AMP-activated protein kinase activity. In addition, this enzyme plays a role in the central regulation of energy expenditure. These findings indicate that hypothalamic AMP-activated protein kinase is an important signal molecule, which integrates nutritional and hormonal signals and modulates feeding behavior and energy expenditure.
Lee
Woo Je
WJ
Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Song-Pa P.O. Box 145, Seoul 138-600, Republic of Korea.
Koh
Eun Hee
EH
Won
Jong Chul
JC
Kim
Min-Seon
MS
Park
Joong-Yeol
JY
Lee
Ki-Up
KU
D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases; D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D004435:Eating; D004734:Energy Metabolism; D006706:Homeostasis; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D009097:Multienzyme Complexes / Q000378:metabolism*; D009765:Obesity / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology
D009097:Multienzyme Complexes; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D055372:AMP-Activated Protein Kinases