Endocrine Abstracts

Similar to individual cells, hypothalamic neural circuits profit from intracellular pathways known to work as fuel sensors to maintain energy balance.The mammalian target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling cascade is among the latest intracellular fuel-sensing pathways to be implicated in the hypothalamic regulation of energy balance.mTORC1 activity is found in both NPY/AgRP- and POMC-producing neurons of the arcuate nucleus...

Introduction: Obese humans have increased plasma levels of endocannabinoids like anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachydonoyl-glycerol (2-AG). However, it is unknown whether these orexigenic signals have a role in human eating behavior.Design: We measured plasma AEA and 2-AG levels in 12 normal weight (10 F, age: 39.1±3.7 years, body mass index (BMI): 21.0±0.6 kg/m2, waist circumference (WC): 73.8±2.9 cm) and 12 insulin-resistant obese s...