Endocrine Abstracts

Hypothalamic inflammation has been the focus of an increasing number of studies in recent years as it is thought to underlie the pathogenesis of obesity-associated insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. These studies have also highlighted the role of glial cells in metabolic control, due to the fact that both microglia and astrocytes are involved in central inflammatory processes. High fat diet (HFD)-induced obesity has been the most commonly used model for the analysis of th...

In light of the ever-increasing incidences of obesity and T2DM, development of novel therapeutic or preventative measures to combat these epidemics is of utmost importance. Identification of a causal relationship between an altered maternal metabolic homeostasis and an increased propensity for the unborn child to develop metabolic disorders throughout lifetime has shifted considerable amount of attention towards understanding the underlying cellular and molecular alterations. ...

The survival of an organism relies on its ability to promptly, effectively and reproducibly communicate with brain networks that control food intake and energy homeostasis. To achieve this, circulating factors of hunger and satiety reflecting nutrient availability must cross the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to reach effectors neurons. A defect in this process invariably leads to uncontrolled body weight. Here we will discuss the key role played in this process by a peculiar type ...