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Updated: Aug 19, 2026

Mechanism of Regulation of Adipocyte Numbers in Adult Organisms Through Differentiation and Apoptosis Homeostasis
Published on: June 3, 2016
Completing the loop: neuron-adipocyte interactions and the control of energy homeostasis
1Department of Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland 21205, USA. lturtzo@jhmi.edu
Abstract:
Control of energy homeostasis requires communication between the brain and adipose tissue. The sympathetic nervous system plays an integral role in relaying information during this process. Recent investigations indicate that the contributions of the sympathetic nervous system to the regulation of adipose tissue are greater than initially appreciated. A recently developed co-culture system provides evidence that a local feedback loop may exist between sympathetic neurons and adipose tissue. The co-culture approach may prove useful in further investigations of the interaction between sympathetic neurons and adipocytes, and might be adapted to study interactions between other types of neurons and adipose tissue.
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