食欲の調節機構

Human disorders of food intake and body weight control are very complicated and aredifficult to treat. One cause is the disruption of physiology of controlling feeding behaviorand the other is the psychological origin.Hunger center in the lateral hypothalamus initiates feeding and satiety center in theventromedial hypothalamus stops eating. There are a number of amines, peptides,hormones and drugs which modify feeding behavior. Metabolites of macronutrients suchas glucose, fatty acids and amino acids are the signals to the hypothalamus. The liver playsa key role in controlling appetite, sending signals to the brain via vagus nerve.Recently, there has been important progress in the molecular genetics of animal obesityand leptin was discovered in 1994. More recently orexin and ghrelin have been found. Themechanism of food intake and body weight regulation has been investigated throughly butthe prboblem of obesity is not solved yet.