Korean J Pediatr.  2005 Feb;48(2):126-137.

Recent Advances in Regulating Energy Homeostasis and Obesity

• Park MJ

Abstract

New insights in the complex metabolic pathways and its control mechanism for energy homeostasis have refined our understanding of the pathophysiology of obesity. It is now recognized that there are several additional regulatory mechanism such as peripheral signals including leptin, ghrelin, GLP-1 and PYY and cellular signals including uncoupling proteins and beta Adrenergic receptors, which contribute to the regulation of food intake and energy expenditure, respectively. In addition, the function of adipocyte as an endocrine organ in energy homeostasis has been recently emphasized. Recent findings suggest that elevated levels of adipokines, such as leptin, adiponectin, resistin and TNF-alpha, in addition to increased free fatty acid level could be related to the pathophysiology of insulin resistance in obesity. For effective treatments and prevention of obesity, further studies on the circuits of neural and endocrine interactions in the regulation of energy homeostasis are needed.

Keyword

Energy homeostasis; Adipocyte; Adipokines; Obesity

MeSH Terms

Adipocytes
Adipokines
Adiponectin
Eating
Energy Metabolism
Ghrelin
Glucagon-Like Peptide 1
Homeostasis*
Insulin Resistance
Leptin
Metabolic Networks and Pathways
Obesity*
Receptors, Adrenergic, beta
Resistin
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha
Adipokines
Adiponectin
Ghrelin
Glucagon-Like Peptide 1
Leptin
Receptors, Adrenergic, beta
Resistin
Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha