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Functional Interrogation of Adult Hypothalamic Neurogenesis with Focal Radiological Inhibition
Published on: November 14, 2013
Developmental programming of energy balance and its hypothalamic regulation
Floor Remmers1, Henriette A Delemarre-van de Waal
1Institute of Physiological Chemistry, University Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany. remmersf@uni-mainz.de
Endocrine Reviews
|November 6, 2010
Summary
Early life nutrition can permanently alter energy balance, influencing obesity risk. More research standardization is needed to understand developmental programming
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Developmental Biology
- Metabolic Health
Background:
- Developmental programming explains how early life plasticity shapes phenotypes from a single genotype.
- In affluent nations, low predictability of fetal environment contributes to the obesity epidemic.
- Understanding energy balance regulation is crucial for studying developmental programming.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review evidence on developmental programming of energy balance.
- To examine hypothalamic regulation of energy balance and its development.
- To explore the impact of the early nutritional environment on energy balance in humans and rodents.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of studies on developmental programming and energy balance.
- Overview of hypothalamic pathways regulating energy balance and their ontogeny.
- Analysis of human and rodent model data on early life nutrition and energy balance.
Main Results:
- Early life environment can permanently affect energy balance.
- Observed effects of developmental programming on energy balance show considerable variation.
- Inconsistencies in findings hinder a comprehensive understanding.
Conclusions:
- Developmental programming significantly influences adult energy balance and obesity.
- Standardization of research methodologies is essential for reliable conclusions.
- Further research is needed to clarify the role of developmental programming in obesity.
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