Endocrine Abstracts

Emerging evidence indicates that the hypothalamus is a key regulator of the adaptation of the central nervous system (CNS) to the changing environment in support of survival, with subsets of hypothalamic neurons acting as upstream regulators of brain regions classically considered as master determinants of CNS function, such as the cortex and hippocampus. The regulatory role of the hypothalamus in cortical and hippocampal functions is mediated via classical neuronal pathways a...

Significant advancements have been made in the last century regarding the neuronal control of feeding behavior and energy expenditure. The effects and mechanism 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...

In light of the ever-increasing incidences of obesity and T2DM, development of novel therapeutic or preventative measures to combat these epidemics is of utmost importance. Identification of a causal relationship between an altered maternal metabolic homeostasis and an increased propensity for the unborn child to develop metabolic disorders throughout lifetime has shifted considerable amount of attention towards understanding the underlying cellular and molecular alterations. ...