Researchers Uncover New Brain Pathways for Understanding Diabetes and Obesity

In a recent study published in the journal Nature Neuroscience, researchers from UT Southwestern Medical Center identified neural pathways that increase the understanding of how the brain regulates body weight, energy expenditure and blood glucose levels. The study found that melanocortin 4 receptors (MC4Rs) expressed by neurons that control the autonomic nervous system are key in regulating glucose metabolism and energy expenditure. Using mouse models, the team of researchers deleted MC4Rs in neurons controlling the sympathetic nervous system. This manipulation lowered energy expenditure and subsequently caused obesity and diabetes in the mice. The findings show that MC4Rs are required to regulate glucose metabolism, energy expenditure, and body weight, including thermogenic responses to diet and exposure to cold. The results of the study show that understanding this pathway in greater detail may be key to identifying the exact processes in which type 2 diabetes and obesity are developed independently of each other. To read more about this study, click here.