title: Estrogens and the control of energy homeostasis: a brain perspective.
abstract: Despite their prominent roles in the control of reproduction, estrogens pervade many other bodily functions. Key metabolic pathways display marked sexual differences, and estrogens are potent modulators of energy balance, as evidenced in extreme conditions of estrogen deficiency characterized by hyperphagia and decreased energy expenditure, and leading to obesity. Compelling evidence has recently demonstrated that, in addition to their peripheral effects, the actions of estrogens on energy homeostasis are exerted at central levels, to regulate almost every key aspect of metabolic homeostasis, from feeding to energy expenditure, to glucose and lipid metabolism. We review herein the state-of-the-art of the role of estrogens in the regulation of energy balance, with a focus on their central effects and modes of action.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine and CIMUS, University of Santiago de Compostela-Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, 15782 Santiago de Compostela, Spain; CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Cordoba, Spain. Electronic address: m.lopez@usc.es.
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: López
authors.affiliation: CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, 14004 Cordoba, Spain; Department of Cell Biology, Physiology, and Immunology, University of Córdoba, Instituto Maimónides de Investigación Biomédica (IMIBIC)/Hospital Reina Sofía, 14004 Córdoba, Spain; FiDiPro Program, Department of Physiology, University of Turku, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, FIN-20520 Turku, Finland. Electronic address: fi1tesem@uco.es.
authors.forename: Manuel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tena-Sempere
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001111:Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D004967:Estrogens / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D005247:Feeding Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006706:Homeostasis / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
chemical_list: D004967:Estrogens
keywords: energy expenditure; estrogens; food intake; hypothalamus; metabolism; obesity