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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Horizontal Hippocampal Slices of the Mouse Brain

Horizontal Hippocampal Slices of the Mouse Brain

Published on: September 22, 2020

How is the hungry brain like a sieve?

Martin G Myers¹

¹Division of Metabolism, Endocrinology, and Diabetes, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan Medical School, 6317 Brehm Tower, 1000 Wall Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48105, USA. mgmyers@umich.edu

Cell Metabolism

|April 9, 2013

Summary

Fasting increases the permeability of blood vessels in the hypothalamus, allowing metabolic signals to reach feeding-control neurons. This finding addresses a long-standing debate in metabolic research.

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Metabolism
Endocrinology

Background:

The direct access of hypothalamic neurons to circulating metabolic cues is a debated topic.
Understanding this interaction is key to comprehending feeding regulation.

Discussion:

Fasting induces "leakiness" in specific hypothalamic blood vessels.
This increased permeability enhances the delivery of circulating factors to hypothalamic feeding-control neurons.

Key Insights:

Demonstrates a mechanism for nutrient sensing by the brain.
Provides direct evidence for hypothalamic neuronal access to systemic metabolic signals.
Links fasting state to altered brain barrier function.

Outlook:

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Further research into the molecular mechanisms of "leakiness" is warranted.

Implications for understanding and treating metabolic disorders like obesity and diabetes.

Potential for therapeutic interventions targeting brain-gut-metabolic signaling.