AMP-activated Protein Kinase Plays a Role in the Control of Food Intake

AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is the downstream component of a protein kinase cascade that acts as an intracellular energy sensor maintaining the energy balance within the cell. The finding that leptin and adiponectin activate AMPK to alter metabolic pathways in muscle and liver provides direct evidence for this role in peripheral tissues. The hypothalamus is a key regulator of food intake and energy balance, coordinating body adiposity and nutritional state in response to peripheral hormones, such as leptin, peptide YY-(3–36), and ghrelin. To date the hormonal regulation of AMPK in the hypothalamus, or its potential role in the control of food intake, have not been reported. Here we demonstrate that…

• WT
  Wellcome Trust
• MR
  Medical Research Council