Brain Inflammation Pathway Linked to Murine Obesity

October 29, 2008

Medical News: Brain Inflammation Pathway Linked to Murine Obesity - in Neurology, General Neurology from MedPage Today:

By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent,
MedPage Today

Published: October 02, 2008

Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine.

MADISON, Wis., Oct. 2 — Blocking an inflammatory pathway in the hypothalamus can prevent obesity, at least in mice, researchers here said.

The pathway involves a mediator of metabolic inflammation — dubbed IKKß/NF-kB — that is normally inactive in the hypothalamus, even though it is enriched in hypothalamic neurons, according to Dongsheng Cai, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Wisconsin, and colleagues.

A series of animal and in vitro experiments showed that IKKß/NF-kB can be activated by either an acute or chronic oversupply of nutrients, Dr. Cai and colleagues reported in the Oct. 3 issue of Cell.

The ‘discoveries offer potential for treating these serious diseases’ caused by overnutrition, such as type 2 diabetes, the researchers said.” More on this…

Technorati Tags:
Central Obesity: Weight and Brain, Central Obesity: Weight and Stress