A slice of the mediobasal hypothalamus, taken from a mouse fed a high-fat diet, depicts accumulating microglia (green) along with Agouti-related protein neurons (AgRP; red). AgRP neurons are important regulators of food consumption and body composition.
THE SUNEIL KOLIWAD LAB
Microglia—the brain’s own macrophages—can prompt excess eating and subsequent weight gain in mice fed high-fat diets, according to a study published today (July 5) in Cell Metabolism. The researchers demonstrate that an appetite-promoting inflammatory cascade driven by these immune cells occurs within the mediobasal region of the hypothalamus, a structure that, according to a news release, “contains key groups of neurons that regulate food intake and energy expenditure.”
Prior studies have demonstrated that when mice are fed a diet high in saturated fat, they consume more while expending fewer calories, leading them to gain weight, the news release states. Additionally, previous work in both obese mice and humans has also shown that microglia within the hypothalamus increase following high-fat feeding, prompting inflammation, the authors write in their report.
In the current study, the researchers examined whether microglial activity in the mediobasal hypothalamus had ...
