Thoughts for food: brain mechanisms and peripheral energy balance.
The past decade has witnessed dramatic advancements regarding the neuroendocrine control of food intake and energy homeostasis and the effects of peripheral metabolic signals on the brain. The development of molecular and genetic tools to visualize and selectively manipulate components of homeostatic systems, in combination with well-established neuroanatomical, electrophysiological, behavioral, and pharmacological techniques, are beginning to provide a clearer picture of the intricate circuits and mechanisms of these complex processes. In this review, we attempt to provide some highlights of these advancements and pinpoint some of the shortcomings of the current understanding of the brain's involvement in the regulation of daily energy homeostasis.
Abizaid
Alfonso
A
Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut 06520, USA.
Gao
Qian
Q
Horvath
Tamas L
TL
D000818:Animals; D001069:Appetite Regulation / Q000502:physiology*; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005502:Food; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000502:physiology