Hypothalamic neuronal activity and intermediary metabolism in ob/ob mice

Introduction: Obesity is a pandemic syndrome, associated with the most prevalent and mortal pathologies in developed countries (Rajala and Scherer, 2003). This pathology results from an imbalance in the control of food intake and energy homeostasis as regulated by a complex network of peripheral and intra-hypothalamic signalling systems (Schwartz et al., 2000). On this basis, the investigation of neuroglial coupling mechanisms and energy metabolism in the hypothalamus is essential to the understanding and integration of the pathways regulating whole body energy homeostasis. Leptin, a cytokine hormone secreted by the adipose tissue, plays an important role in the physiologic regulation of appetite and energy balance by reducing body weight via interaction with hypothalamic neurons (Zhang et al., 1994). In this study, we compared the hypothalamic neuronal activation and intermediary metabolism between wild type (wt) and leptin-deficient (ob/ob) mice through the administration of [1-C]glucose and applying a regional C HR MAS approach.