scholarly journals Environment, Leptin Sensitivity, and Hypothalamic Plasticity

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Mainardi ◽  
Tommaso Pizzorusso ◽  
Margherita Maffei

Regulation of feeding behavior has been a crucial step in the interplay between leptin and the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC). On one hand, the basic mechanisms regulating central and peripheral action of leptin are becoming increasingly clear. On the other hand, knowledge on how brain sensitivity to leptin can be modulated is only beginning to accumulate. This point is of paramount importance if one considers that pathologically obese subjects have high levels of plasmatic leptin. A possible strategy for exploring neural plasticity in the ARC is to act on environmental stimuli. This can be achieved with various protocols, namely, physical exercise, high-fat diet, caloric restriction, and environmental enrichment. Use of these protocols can, in turn, be exploited to isolate key molecules with translational potential. In the present review, we summarize present knowledge about the mechanisms of plasticity induced by the environment in the ARC. In addition, we also address the role of leptin in extrahypothalamic plasticity, in order to propose an integrated view of how a single diffusible factor can regulate diverse brain functions.

Life Sciences ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 246 ◽  
pp. 117384
Author(s):  
Zeinab Farhadi ◽  
Mohammad Khaksari ◽  
Hossein Azizian ◽  
Abbas Mortazaeizadeh ◽  
Mohammad Shabani ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (20) ◽  
pp. 11010
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Torres ◽  
Matthew W. Pitts ◽  
Lucia A. Seale ◽  
Ann C. Hashimoto ◽  
Katlyn J. An ◽  
...  

The role of the essential trace element selenium in hypothalamic physiology has begun to come to light over recent years. Selenium is used to synthesize a family of proteins participating in redox reactions called selenoproteins, which contain a selenocysteine residue in place of a cysteine. Past studies have shown that disrupted selenoprotein expression in the hypothalamus can adversely impact energy homeostasis. There is also evidence that selenium supports leptin signaling in the hypothalamus by maintaining proper redox balance. In this study, we generated mice with conditional knockout of the selenocysteine tRNA[Ser]Sec gene (Trsp) in an orexigenic cell population called agouti-related peptide (Agrp)-positive neurons. We found that female TrspAgrpKO mice gain less weight while on a high-fat diet, which occurs due to changes in adipose tissue activity. Female TrspAgrpKO mice also retained hypothalamic sensitivity to leptin administration. Male mice were unaffected, however, highlighting the sexually dimorphic influence of selenium on neurobiology and energy homeostasis. These findings provide novel insight into the role of selenoproteins within a small yet heavily influential population of hypothalamic neurons.


Planta Medica ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 77 (12) ◽  
Author(s):  
C Charkhonpunya ◽  
S Sireeratawong ◽  
S Komindr ◽  
N Lerdvuthisopon

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ann-Kristin Picke ◽  
Lykke Sylow ◽  
Lisbeth L V Moller ◽  
Rasmus Kjobsted ◽  
Erik Richter ◽  
...  

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (15) ◽  
pp. 7975
Author(s):  
Saioa Gómez-Zorita ◽  
Iñaki Milton-Laskibar ◽  
Laura García-Arellano ◽  
Marcela González ◽  
María P. Portillo

The present review is aimed at analysing the current evidence concerning the potential modulation of obesity and/or diet in adipose tissue ACE2. Additionally, the potential implications of these effects on COVID-19 are also addressed. The results published show that diet and obesity are two factors that effectively influence the expression of Ace2 gene in adipose tissue. However, the shifts in this gene do not always occur in the same direction, nor with the same intensity. Additionally, there is no consensus regarding the implications of increased adipose tissue ACE2 expression in health. Thus, while in some studies a protective role is attributed to ACE2 overexpression, other studies suggest otherwise. Similarly, there is much debate regarding the role played by ACE2 in COVID-19 in terms of degree of infection and disease outcomes. The greater risk of infection that may hypothetically derive from enhanced ACE2 expression is not clear since the functionality of the enzyme seems to be as important as the abundance. Thus, the greater abundance of ACE2 in adipose tissue of obese subjects may be counterbalanced by its lower activation. In addition, a protective role of ACE2 overexpression has also been suggested, associated with the increase in anti-inflammatory factors that it may produce.


Molecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (8) ◽  
pp. 2244
Author(s):  
Melania Melis ◽  
Mariano Mastinu ◽  
Stefano Pintus ◽  
Tiziana Cabras ◽  
Roberto Crnjar ◽  
...  

Taste plays an important role in processes such as food choices, nutrition status and health. Salivary proteins contribute to taste sensitivity. Taste reduction has been associated with obesity. Gender influences the obesity predisposition and the genetic ability to perceive the bitterness of 6-n-propylthiouracil (PROP), oral marker for food preferences and consumption. We investigated variations in the profile of salivary proteome, analyzed by HPLC-ESI-MS, between sixty-one normal weight subjects (NW) and fifty-seven subjects with obesity (OB), based on gender and PROP sensitivity. Results showed variations of taste-related salivary proteins between NW and OB, which were differently associated with gender and PROP sensitivity. High levels of Ps-1, II-2 and IB-1 proteins belonging to basic proline rich proteins (bPRPs) and PRP-1 protein belonging to acid proline rich proteins (aPRPs) were found in OB males, who showed a lower body mass index (BMI) than OB females. High levels of Ps-1 protein and Cystatin SN (Cyst SN) were found in OB non-tasters, who had lower BMI than OB super-tasters. These new insights on the role of salivary proteins as a factor driving the specific weight gain of OB females and super-tasters, suggest the use of specific proteins as a strategic tool modifying taste responses related to eating behavior.


2021 ◽  
Vol 137 ◽  
pp. 111370
Author(s):  
Chethan Sampath ◽  
Derek Wilus ◽  
Mohammad Tabatabai ◽  
Michael L. Freeman ◽  
Pandu R. Gangula

Biomolecules ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
pp. 359
Author(s):  
Maximilian Lenz ◽  
Amelie Eichler ◽  
Andreas Vlachos

Inflammation of the central nervous system can be triggered by endogenous and exogenous stimuli such as local or systemic infection, trauma, and stroke. In addition to neurodegeneration and cell death, alterations in physiological brain functions are often associated with neuroinflammation. Robust experimental evidence has demonstrated that inflammatory cytokines affect the ability of neurons to express plasticity. It has been well-established that inflammation-associated alterations in synaptic plasticity contribute to the development of neuropsychiatric symptoms. Nevertheless, diagnostic approaches and interventional strategies to restore inflammatory deficits in synaptic plasticity are limited. Here, we review recent findings on inflammation-associated alterations in synaptic plasticity and the potential role of the blood–brain interface, i.e., the blood–brain barrier, in modulating synaptic plasticity. Based on recent findings indicating that brain stimulation promotes plasticity and modulates vascular function, we argue that clinically employed non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, such as transcranial magnetic stimulation, could be used for monitoring and modulating inflammation-induced alterations in synaptic plasticity.


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