Neurobiological characteristics underlying metabolic differences between males and females

The hypothalamus is the main integrating center for metabolic control. Our understanding of how hypothalamic circuits function to control appetite and energy expenditure has increased dramatically in recent years, due to the rapid rise in the incidence of obesity and the search for effective treatments. Increasing evidence indicates that these treatments will most likely differ between males and females. Indeed, sex differences in metabolism have been demonstrated at various levels, including in two of the most studied neuronal populations involved in metabolic control: the anorexigenic proopiomelanocortin neurons and the orexigenic neuropeptide Y/Agouti-related protein neurons. Here we review what is known to date regarding the sex differences in these two neuronal populations, as well as other neuronal populations involved in metabolic control and glial cells.