Neurons in Hypothalamus Can Suppress Food Intake: Study Finds
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In a study published in the issue of Nature, a team of researchers discovered a new population of neurons that is responsive to the hormone leptin.
"We've long known that the hypothalamus, located deep in the brain, plays a role in hunger, hormone levels, stress responses, and body temperature," said Brian Herb, PhD, a scientist at IGS and a Research Associate of Pharmacology, Physiology, and Drug Development at UMSOM.
"Since our earlier research showed that unique regulatory programs in genes give rise to specialized neuronal populations -- it makes sense that this new research discovered a previously unknown set of neurons that regulate energy and food intake," Dr. Herb added
Through several experiments with mice, the researchers found that this previously unknown neuronal population that express both receptors for leptin and the BNC2 gene not only helps suppress hunger, but also responds to food-related sensory cues, such as food palatability and nutritional status.
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