eating disorders; energy homeostasis; food intake; hypothalamus; inflammation; lipids; Microglia
Abstract :
[en] Maintaining energy balance is essential for survival and health. This physiological
function is controlled by the brain, which adapts food intake to energy
needs. Indeed, the brain constantly receives a multitude of biological signals that
are derived from digested foods or that originate from the gastrointestinal tract,
energy stores (liver and adipose tissues) and other metabolically active organs
(muscles). These signals, which include circulating nutrients, hormones and neuronal
inputs from the periphery, collectively provide information on the overall
energy status of the body. In the brain, several neuronal populations can specifically
detect these signals. Nutrient-sensing neurons are found in discrete brain
areas and are highly enriched in the hypothalamus. In turn, specialized brain circuits
coordinate homeostatic responses acting mainly on appetite, peripheral
metabolism, activity and arousal. Accumulating evidence shows that hypothalamic
microglial cells located at the vicinity of these circuits can influence the brain
control of energy balance. However, microglial cells could have opposite effects
on energy balance, that is homeostatic or detrimental, and the conditions for
this shift are not totally understood yet. One hypothesis relies on the extent of
microglial activation, and nutritional lipids can considerably change it.
Disciplines :
Food science
Author, co-author :
Salvi, Juliette; Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté > Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation