Abstract
In mammals, glucocorticoid actions appear to have evolved to maintain and enhance energy stores to be used for life-saving gluconeogenesis. They act on the brain to stimulate search behaviors, palatable feeding and emotionally relevant memories, and they act on the body to mobilize stored peripheral energy and direct it to central depots that serve the substrate needs of the liver. Our work in rats shows that searching and intake of palatable foods (sucrose, saccharin and lard) are stimulated by corticosterone in a dose-related fashion. Adrenalectomized rats gain weight poorly, have low fat content, increased sympathetic neural and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal outflow, and altered behaviors. Replacement with corticosterone reverses these effects. Surprisingly, when such rats are provided with 30% sucrose to drink, in addition to saline, all of the usual effects of adrenalectomy are corrected without corticosterone. We hypothesize that there is a metabolic feedback system that decreases stress-responsiveness. Although we have not yet identified the signal associated with sucrose drinking, the weight of mesenteric fat correlates inversely with hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). When rats eat lard and sucrose ad libitum, fat stores increase and CRF, ACTH and corticosterone responses are reduced. During stress, chow intake decreases but intake of lard and sucrose does not. Our current working model suggests that palatability signals and neural signals from fat stores act on brain to reduce activity in the central stress response system. Correlative results from a clinical study support the powerful role of small changes in glucocorticoids in type 2 diabetes.
Keywords: Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), type 2 diabetes, abdominal fat, sugar, fat
Current Alzheimer Research
Title: Glucocorticoids, the Etiology of Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome
Volume: 4 Issue: 2
Author(s): Mary F. Dallman, Susan F. Akana, Norman C. Pecoraro, James P. Warne, Susanne E. la Fleur and Michelle T. Foster
Affiliation:
Keywords: Corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF), type 2 diabetes, abdominal fat, sugar, fat
Abstract: In mammals, glucocorticoid actions appear to have evolved to maintain and enhance energy stores to be used for life-saving gluconeogenesis. They act on the brain to stimulate search behaviors, palatable feeding and emotionally relevant memories, and they act on the body to mobilize stored peripheral energy and direct it to central depots that serve the substrate needs of the liver. Our work in rats shows that searching and intake of palatable foods (sucrose, saccharin and lard) are stimulated by corticosterone in a dose-related fashion. Adrenalectomized rats gain weight poorly, have low fat content, increased sympathetic neural and hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal outflow, and altered behaviors. Replacement with corticosterone reverses these effects. Surprisingly, when such rats are provided with 30% sucrose to drink, in addition to saline, all of the usual effects of adrenalectomy are corrected without corticosterone. We hypothesize that there is a metabolic feedback system that decreases stress-responsiveness. Although we have not yet identified the signal associated with sucrose drinking, the weight of mesenteric fat correlates inversely with hypothalamic corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF). When rats eat lard and sucrose ad libitum, fat stores increase and CRF, ACTH and corticosterone responses are reduced. During stress, chow intake decreases but intake of lard and sucrose does not. Our current working model suggests that palatability signals and neural signals from fat stores act on brain to reduce activity in the central stress response system. Correlative results from a clinical study support the powerful role of small changes in glucocorticoids in type 2 diabetes.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
Dallman F. Mary, Akana F. Susan, Pecoraro C. Norman, Warne P. James, la Fleur E. Susanne and Foster T. Michelle, Glucocorticoids, the Etiology of Obesity and the Metabolic Syndrome, Current Alzheimer Research 2007; 4 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156720507780362236
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/156720507780362236 |
Print ISSN 1567-2050 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1875-5828 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
New Advances in the Prevention, Diagnosis, Treatment, and Rehabilitation of Alzheimer's Disease
Aims and Scope: Introduction: Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses a significant global health challenge, with an increasing prevalence that demands concerted efforts to advance our understanding and strategies for prevention, diagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation. This thematic issue aims to bring together cutting-edge research and innovative approaches from multidisciplinary perspectives to address ...read more
Current updates on the Role of Neuroinflammation in Neurodegenerative Disorders
Neuroinflammation is an invariable hallmark of chronic and acute neurodegenerative disorders and has long been considered a potential drug target for Alzheimer?s disease (AD) and dementia. Significant evidence of inflammatory processes as a feature of AD is provided by the presence of inflammatory markers in plasma, CSF and postmortem brain ...read more
Deep Learning for Advancing Alzheimer's Disease Research
Alzheimer's disease (AD) poses a significant global health challenge, with an increasing number of individuals affected yearly. Deep learning, a subfield of artificial intelligence, has shown immense potential in various domains, including healthcare. This thematic issue of Current Alzheimer Research explores the application of deep learning techniques in advancing our ...read more
Diagnostic and therapeutic biomarkers of dementia
Dementia affects 18 million people worldwide. Dementia is a syndrome of symptoms caused by brain disease, usually chronic or progressive, clinically characterized by multiple impairments of higher cortical functions such as memory, thinking, orientation, and learning. In addition, in the course of dementia, cognitive deficits are observed, which often hinder ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Cells of the Macrophage Lineage and their Role in the Pathogenesis of HIV-1 Infection: An Update
Medicinal Chemistry Reviews - Online (Discontinued) Diabetes Mellitus: Novel Insights, Analysis and Interpretation of Pathophysiology and Complications Management with Imidazole-Containing Peptidomimetic Antioxidants
Recent Patents on Drug Delivery & Formulation The Potential Therapeutic Role of the HMGB1-TLR Pathway in Epilepsy
Current Drug Targets Therapeutic Potential of Metabotropic Glutamate Receptor Modulators
Current Neuropharmacology The Role of miR-124 in Drosophila Alzheimer's Disease Model by Targeting Delta in Notch Signaling Pathway
Current Molecular Medicine Transforming Growth Factor-β Signaling in Motor Neuron Diseases
Current Molecular Medicine Structural Analysis of Relevant Drug Targets for Alzheimer's Disease: Novel Approaches to Drug Development
Current Bioactive Compounds Opinion Paper: A Cognitive-cultural Segregation and the Three Stages of Aging
Current Aging Science Therapeutic Targeting of NLRP3 Inflammasomes by Natural Products and Pharmaceuticals: A Novel Mechanistic Approach for Inflammatory Diseases
Current Medicinal Chemistry Isoflurane Facilitates Synaptic NMDA Receptor Endocytosis in Mice Primary Neurons
Current Molecular Medicine Anti-Aggregating Antibodies, a New Approach Towards Treatment of Conformational Diseases
Current Medicinal Chemistry Crucial Role of Interferon-γ and Stimulated Macrophages in Cardiovascular Disease
Current Vascular Pharmacology Synthesis and Antiacetylcholinesterase Activity Evaluation of New 2-aryl Benzofuran Derivatives
Letters in Drug Design & Discovery Patent Selections:
Recent Patents on Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Drug Discovery Evaluation of Drug Transporter Interactions in Drug Discovery and Development
Combinatorial Chemistry & High Throughput Screening Prevalence of Neuropsychiatric Symptoms in Alzheimers Disease and Vascular Dementia
Current Alzheimer Research Enteric Ecosystem Disruption in Autism Spectrum Disorder: Can the Microbiota and Macrobiota be Restored?
Current Pharmaceutical Design Neuropathological Correlates of Cerebral Multimorbidity
Current Alzheimer Research Long-Term Exposure to Ambient Hydrocarbons Increases Dementia Risk in People Aged 50 Years and above in Taiwan
Current Alzheimer Research Medical Treatment of Critical Limb Ischemia: Current State and Future Directions
Current Vascular Pharmacology