Work

The Brain–Liver Connection Between BDNF and Glucose Control

Year: 2013

Type: article

Abstract: Growing knowledge of the control of glucosemetabolism permits the testing of alternativetreatments to insulin to maintain euglycemia.Diminishing glucagon action on the liver (1) and increasing leptin (2) are prime examples of promising peptide hormone treatments that could be useful in glu-cose regulation. A report from Morton and colleagues (3) in this issue provides data that a systems biology model could integrate these two points of view of glucose regulation. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its cog-nate receptor TrkB are involved in the regulation of energy balance and glucose homeostasis via its effects in the central nervous system. Perturbed BDNF signaling in the brain triggers hyperphagia and obesity in mice, suggesting that BDNF acts as an anorexigenic signaling molecule (4– 6). However, the cellular mechanisms underlying the an-orexigenic effects of BDNF have not been clearly defined. As a neurotrophic factor, BDNF promotes survival, indu-

Source: Diabetes

DOI: 10.2337/db12-1824

Authors: Young-Hwan Jo, Streamson C. Chua

Institution: Albert Einstein College of Medicine

Language: English

Topic: Regulation of Appetite and Obesity

Subfield: Endocrine and Autonomic Systems

Field: Neuroscience

Domain: Life Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: hybrid

Funders: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development