Obesity and aging are two important epidemic factors for metabolic syndrome and many other health issues, which contribute to devastating diseases such as cardiovascular diseases, stroke and cancers. The brain plays a central role in controlling metabolic physiology in that it integrates information from other metabolic organs, sends regulatory projections and orchestrates the whole-body function. Emerging studies suggest that brain dysfunction in sensing various internal cues or processing external cues may have profound effects on metabolic and other physiological functions. This review highlights brain dysfunction linked to genetic mutations, sex, brain inflammation, microbiota, stress as causes for whole-body pathophysiology, arguing brain dysfunction as a root cause for the epidemic of aging and obesity-related disorders. We also speculate key issues that need to be addressed on how to reveal relevant brain dysfunction that underlines the development of these disorders and diseases in order to develop new treatment strategies against these health problems.
Aging ; Brain/metabolism* ; Energy Metabolism ; Humans ; Hypothalamus/metabolism* ; Obesity/metabolism*

Olfaction and food intake are interrelated and regulated. In the process of feeding, the metabolic signals in the body and the feeding signals produced by food stimulation are first sensed by the arcuate nucleus of hypothalamus and the nucleus tractus solitarius of brain stem, and then these neurons project to the paraventricular nucleus of hypothalamus. The paraventricular nucleus transmits the signals to other brain regions related to feeding and regulates feeding behavior. In this process, olfactory signals can be transmitted to hypothalamus through olfactory bulb and olfactory cortex to regulate feeding behavior. At the same time, gastrointestinal hormones (ghrelin, insulin, leptin, etc.) and some neurotransmitters (acetylcholine, norepinephrine, serotonin, endocannabinoid, etc.) produced in the process of feeding act on the olfactory system to regulate olfactory function, which in turn affects the feeding itself. This review summaries the research progress of the interaction between olfaction and food intake and its internal mechanism from the aspects of neuronal and hormonal regulation.
Arcuate Nucleus of Hypothalamus/metabolism* ; Feeding Behavior/physiology* ; Hypothalamus ; Paraventricular Hypothalamic Nucleus ; Smell

Acoustic Stimulation ; adverse effects ; Animals ; Calcium ; metabolism ; Female ; Hypothalamus ; metabolism ; Neurons ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley

OBJECTIVETo determine the level and the role of beta-endorphin in hypothalamus of rat with trigeminal neuralgia.

METHODSThe animal model of primary trigeminal neuralgia in rat was established, the contents of beta-endorphin were measured by radioimmunoassay techniques.

RESULTSThe beta-endorphin of hypothalamus in experimental group was significantly lower than other groups (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONSBeta-endorphin may play important roles in primary trigeminal neuralgia.

Animals ; Hypothalamus ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Trigeminal Neuralgia ; metabolism ; beta-Endorphin ; metabolism

Accumulated evidence from genetic animal models suggests that the brain, particularly the hypothalamus, has a key role in the homeostatic regulation of energy and glucose metabolism. The brain integrates multiple metabolic inputs from the periphery through nutrients, gut-derived satiety signals and adiposity-related hormones. The brain modulates various aspects of metabolism, such as food intake, energy expenditure, insulin secretion, hepatic glucose production and glucose/fatty acid metabolism in adipose tissue and skeletal muscle. Highly coordinated interactions between the brain and peripheral metabolic organs are critical for the maintenance of energy and glucose homeostasis. Defective crosstalk between the brain and peripheral organs contributes to the development of obesity and type 2 diabetes. Here we comprehensively review the above topics, discussing the main findings related to the role of the brain in the homeostatic regulation of energy and glucose metabolism.
Adipose Tissue ; Brain* ; Eating ; Energy Metabolism ; Glucose* ; Homeostasis ; Hypothalamus ; Insulin ; Metabolism* ; Models, Animal ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Obesity

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is one of the most important orexigenic agents in central regulation of feeding behavior, body weight and energy homeostasis in domestic chickens. To examine differences in the hypothalamic NPY between layer-type and meat-type of chickens, which are two divergent kinds of the domestic chickens in feeding behavior and body weight, we detected mRNA levels of NPY in hypothalamic infundibular nucleus (IN), paraventricular nucleus (PVN) and lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) of these two types of chickens using one-step real time RT-PCR. The meat-type chicken had more food daily (about 1.7 folds) and greater body weights (about 1.5 folds) and brain weights than the layer-type chicken at the age of 14 d. In the meat-type of chicken, NPY mRNA levels of the IN and PVN were significantly greater than those of the LHA, and were not significantly different between the IN and PVN. However, in the layer-type of chicken, NPY mRNA levels were significantly greater in the IN than those in the LHA and PVN, and were not significantly different between the PVN and LHA. In all these hypothalamic regions, the layer-type of chicken had significantly higher NPY mRNA levels than the meat-type chicken did. These results suggest the expression of NPY in the hypothalamus has a type-dependent pattern in domestic chickens.
Animals ; Body Weight ; Chickens ; classification ; metabolism ; Hypothalamus ; metabolism ; Male ; Meat ; Neuropeptide Y ; genetics ; RNA, Messenger ; analysis

OBJECTIVE: To observe the GluR2 expression in rat inferior colliculus (IC) in different developmental stages, and to investigate its developmental change and relationship with the synapse development. METHOD: The expression of GluR2 and synaptophysin(SYP) in IC were detected by double immunofluorescence method. RESULT: (1) All sorts of neurons in IC expressed GluR2 in every postnatal groups, and the GluR2 expression in P6w groups was higher than that in other groups. (2) The expression of GluR2 were different in different subnucleus of IC. (3) All sorts of neurons in IC expressed SYP in every postnatal groups, and the SYP expression in P6w groups was higher than others. (4) The expressions of GluR2 consistent with the expression of SYP in IC. CONCLUSION The developmental changes of GluR2 and SYP expression in the rat IC may be involved in the development and plasticity of auditory center.
Animals ; Hypothalamus ; cytology ; metabolism ; Inferior Colliculi ; growth & development ; metabolism ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Receptors, AMPA ; metabolism ; Synapses ; metabolism ; Synaptophysin ; metabolism

AIM AND METHODSBoth PGE2 and cAMP are important neural mediator of fever. In order to discuss if PGE2 and cAMP are involved in the antipyretic mechanism of baicalin, fever models of rats were made by i.v. injection of endotoxin (ET). The antipyretic action and effects of baicalin on contents of PGE2 and cAMP in hypothalamus were observed.

RESULTSBaicalin possessed obvious antipyretic effect on fever rats and reversed the effect of ET on contents of PGE2 and cAMP in hypothalamus. Correlation analysis showed that contents of PGE2 and cAMP in hypothalamus were positively correlated with the change of body temperature of rats.

CONCLUSIONBaicalin may exert its antipyretic effect on fever rats by inhibiting increase of contents of PGE2 and cAMP in hypothalamus.

Animals ; Cyclic AMP ; metabolism ; Dinoprostone ; metabolism ; Fever ; metabolism ; Flavonoids ; pharmacology ; Hypothalamus ; drug effects ; metabolism ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar

Significant advancements have been made in the past century regarding the neuronal control of feeding behavior and energy expenditure. The effects and mechanisms of action of various peripheral metabolic signals on the brain have become clearer. Molecular and genetic tools for visualizing and manipulating individual components of brain homeostatic systems in combination with neuroanatomical, electrophysiological, behavioral, and pharmacological techniques have begun to elucidate the molecular and neuronal mechanisms of complex feeding behavior and energy expenditure. This review article highlights some of these advancements that have led to the current understanding of the brain's involvement in the acute and chronic regulation of energy homeostasis.
Brain ; Energy Metabolism ; Feeding Behavior ; Ghrelin ; Glucose ; Homeostasis ; Hunger ; Hypothalamus ; Leptin ; Neurons

AIMTo investigate the influence of hypoxia on postnatal developing pattern of hypothalamic corticotropin releasing factor(CRF) and arginine vasopressin (AVP) in male and female neonatal rats.

METHODSThe hypoxia was simulated in hypobaric cabin. The content of AVP and CRF was assayed by RIA method.

RESULTSIt was showed the female rats had the similar developing process with male rats, either at 2300 m or at 5000 m altitude. When they developed at simulated 5000 m altitude, the content of their hypothalamic CRF was lower than that of control rats on postnatal day 21, while the content of AVP was higher than control on day 21 and 28.

CONCLUSIONMaybe the difference of the function between hypothalamic CRF and AVP or/and the incoherence of their developing stage contribute to their particular developing pattern at 5000 m altitude.

Altitude ; Animals ; Animals, Newborn ; Arginine Vasopressin ; metabolism ; Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone ; metabolism ; Female ; Hypothalamus ; metabolism ; Hypoxia ; Male ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar