Author Interviews, Imperial College, Sugar, Weight Research / 13.12.2014
Brain Enzyme May Regulate Appetite For Sugar
MedicalResearch.com Interview with:
Dr James Gardiner
Reader in Molecular Physiology
Imperial College Hammersmith Campus
London 0NN
Medical Research: What is the background for this study? What are the main findings?
Response: It is well known that glucose is a preferred food and is consumed in preference to other nutrients. Food intake is controlled by the brain in part this it is regulated by part of the brain called the hypothalamus. Glucokinase is an important component of glucose sensing and is expressed in the hypothalamus and specifically in the arcuate nucleus. A hypothalamic mechanism regulating glucose intake has not previously been identified.
Using a rodent model we demonstrated that increasing glucokinase activity in the arcuate nucleus increased food intake and body weight. If glucose was available as separately then glucose intake is increased but not weight. Decreasing glucokinase activity in the arcuate nucleus had the opposite effect, reducing glucose intake when it was available. Our results suggest that glucokinase controls glucose appetite and hence the amount of glucose consumed. This is the first time a mechanism controlling the intake of a specific nutrient has been described.
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