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How gut and brain control metabolism
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This article was originally published by Medknow Publications & Media Pvt Ltd and was migrated to Scientific Scholar after the change of Publisher.
Metabolic diseases such as diabetes, fatty liver disease and obesity are on the rise worldwide. The need to develop new strategies to manage these diseases has led to an exponential increase in research evaluating the relationship between the gastrointestinal tract and the brain and how these control metabolism. Understanding of this tripartite connection is crucial to the refinement of such diverse interventions as new anti-diabetes medications and gastric sleeve resection to correct obesity. This book contains a series of chapters by researchers and experts that explore in detail the interaction between the gut, the brain and metabolism. The book begins with a detailed description of hypothalamic control of glucose and lipid metabolism in the liver mediated via coordinated autonomic and neuroendocrine pathways. The mechanisms by which gastrointestinal hormones enter the central nervous system to regulate metabolism, and the dysregulation of these mechanisms in metabolic diseases such as obesity and type 2 diabetes are described clearly.
The role of the central nervous system in the peripheral effects of insulin has been discussed in chapter 3 along with their contribution in the regulation of glucose homeostasis. Body metabolism, especially energy balance regulation, is related to a number of hormones including leptin, ghrelin and nefstatin. The influence of these hormones on physiological processes such as normal sleep has also been discussed. There are chapters which deal with the mechanism through which the stomach influences this connection. The role of taste receptors of taste buds, and food derived molecules such as nutropioids in the control of food intake has also been reviewed in detail. While this book is a compilation of the recent developments in the field, the one shortcoming of the book is the meager attention given to the role of the gut microbiota in modulating the effects of gut-neuro-endocrine axis on metabolism, a burgeoning field of research.
Overall this book is a must read for every researcher in the field of metabolism, gut physiology, and obesity.
