| Molecular pathways to obesity. | |
| | |
MedLine Citation:
|
PMID: 12174325 Owner: NLM Status: MEDLINE |
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
|
Obesity results from a chronic imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Environmental factors, such as the increased availability of high caloric food or the decreased need for physical activity, contribute to its development and their influence is amplified by genetic predisposition. In recent years remarkable progress has been made in the understanding of the pathophysiology of obesity. Although most of the insights into the regulation of energy balance have been obtained in rodent models, the rare clinical cases of monogenic obesity provided evidence for the importance of several of these mechanisms in humans. The identification of leptin as a factor originating from adipose tissue and informing the brain about the status of energy reserves firmly established the concept of long-term regulation of body fat stores. The disappointing therapeutic results with leptin in obese patients could be explained by the fact that during evolution this hormone developed rather as a starvation signal than as an adiposity signal. It is conceivable that the pharmacological interference with mechanisms downstream of leptin, for example with the melanocortin pathway, might be therapeutically more promising. The discovery of new molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of the differentiation and proliferation of adipocytes and the elucidation of their paracrine and endocrine functions have changed the traditional view of adipose tissue as an inert depot for triglycerides. The identification of new uncoupling proteins could modify the current concepts of the regulation of thermogenesis in humans. The remarkable progress in the identification of novel targets involved in the regualtion of energy balance should have a positive impact on the search for new antiobesity agents. |
| | |
Authors:
|
K G Hofbauer |
Related Documents
:
|
11415995 - Leptin effects on immune function and energy balance are photoperiod dependent in siber... 11356725 - Sex, fat and the tilt of the earth: effects of sex and season on the feeding response t... 18322715 - Obesity pandemics and the modification of digestive bacterial flora. 2840925 - Effect of the monoamine oxidase inhibitors clorgyline and pargyline on the hyperphagia ... 9972685 - Acute and chronic effects of morphine under a progressive-ratio 25 schedule of food del... 10222395 - Recovery of 15n-lactoferrin is higher than that of 15n-casein in the small intestine of... |
Publication Detail:
|
Type: Journal Article; Review |
Journal Detail:
|
Title: International journal of obesity and related metabolic disorders : journal of the International Association for the Study of Obesity Volume: 26 Suppl 2 ISSN: 0307-0565 ISO Abbreviation: Int. J. Obes. Relat. Metab. Disord. Publication Date: 2002 Sep |
Date Detail:
|
Created Date: 2002-08-13 Completed Date: 2002-11-12 Revised Date: 2005-11-16 |
Medline Journal Info:
|
Nlm Unique ID: 9313169 Medline TA: Int J Obes Relat Metab Disord Country: England |
Other Details:
|
Languages: eng Pagination: S18-27 Citation Subset: IM |
Affiliation:
|
Chair for Applied Pharmacology, Biozentrum/Pharmazentrum, University of Basel, Switzerland. karl.hofbauer@unibas.ch |
Export Citation:
|
APA/MLA Format Download EndNote Download BibTex |
| MeSH Terms | |
Descriptor/Qualifier:
|
Animals Brain / physiology Eating Energy Metabolism Environment Evolution Homeostasis Humans Leptin / physiology Neuropeptide Y / physiology Obesity / etiology*, genetics |
| Chemical | |
Reg. No./Substance:
|
0/Leptin; 0/Neuropeptide Y |
From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
Previous Document: Pathways to obesity.
Next Document: Pathways from obesity to hypertension: from the perspective of a vicious triangle.