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Updated: Jan 25, 2026

Membrane Potential Dye Imaging of Ventromedial Hypothalamus Neurons From Adult Mice to Study Glucose Sensing
Published on: November 27, 2013
P110β in the ventromedial hypothalamus regulates glucose and energy metabolism
Teppei Fujikawa1,2,3, Yun-Hee Choi1,2,4, Dong Joo Yang4
1Division of Hypothalamic Research, Department of Internal Medicine, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, 75390, USA.
Abstract:
Phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling in hypothalamic neurons integrates peripheral metabolic cues, including leptin and insulin, to coordinate systemic glucose and energy homeostasis. PI3K is composed of different subunits, each of which has several unique isoforms. However, the role of the PI3K subunits and isoforms in the ventromedial hypothalamus (VMH), a prominent site for the regulation of glucose and energy homeostasis, is unclear. Here we investigated the role of subunit p110β in steroidogenic factor-1 (SF-1) neurons of the VMH in the regulation of metabolism. Our data demonstrate that the deletion of p110β in SF-1 neurons disrupts glucose metabolism, rendering the mice insulin resistant. In addition, the deletion of p110β in SF-1 neurons leads to the whitening of brown adipose tissues and increased susceptibility to diet-induced obesity due to blunted energy expenditure. These results highlight a critical role for p110β in the regulation of glucose and energy homeostasis via VMH neurons.
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