Research
Hormonal
Activation of AgRP neurons by UDP (uridine-diphosphate) promotes feeding and weight gain, and elevated circulating uridine levels in obesity may sustain this vicious cycle.
This is a basic science finding; no direct human intervention is currently recommended based on this specific pathway alone.
ModerateSupportsMEDIUM confidence
A recent report in rodents demonstrated that AgRP neurons are activated by uridine-diphosphate (UDP)... UDP acts on AgRP neurons via the purinergic receptor 6 (P2Y6) to promote feeding... In the context of obesity, uridine levels are elevated in the circulation... indicating that the uridine/UDP system might be another mechanism that promotes the vicious cycle of increased weight gain.
Why this rating
Based on a single recent rodent study cited.
Source
Hypothalamic circuits regulating appetite and energy homeostasis: pathways to obesity
Katharina Timper et al. · Disease Models & Mechanisms · 2017
DOI 10.1242/dmm.026609
narrative_reviewCited 770×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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