The Role Of Brain In Glucose Metabolism

The cloning of leptin, the product of the ob (obese) gene, in the early 1990s has renewed the interest in the relationship between brain and control of energy balance and metabolism. Although the notion that the hypothalamus is a major control center for energy homeostasis was previously well established, the discovery that leptin acts in

The notion of central nervous system (CNS) control of glucose metabolism has evolved since its initial introduction in the mid-nineteenth century. Claude Bernard first introduced the concept of glucose homeostasis and described a glucoregulatory system involving a brain–liver connection. He observed that blood glucose levels remain surprisingly constant in the face of many physiologic conditions

Although insulin does not appear to influence CNS glucose metabolism, the brain is an insulin-sensitive organ in many respects. There is evidence that insulin is promptly transported across the blood–brain barrier via a saturable (receptor-mediated) process and diffusion across the areas of the brain that are outside of the blood–brain barrier. Moreover, insulin levels in

There is a growing body of evidence indicating that circulating nutrients are sensed in the brain and directly participate in the homeostatic control of energy balance and peripheral metabolism. The hypothalamic arcuate nucleus is a regulatory site whereby lipids, glucose, and amino acids levels and their flux are sensed as integrated with other neural and

Other CNS Modulators of Glucose Metabolism GLP-1 Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an enteric peptide recently implicated in the neural control of glucose metabolism. GLP-1 is known to stimulate glucose-dependent insulin secretion, reduce glucagon secretion, and inhibit gastric emptying. GLP-1 and its agonists are effective hypoglycemic agents for the treatment of type 2 diabetes. Improved glycemia