Hormonal
Activation of the melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R) by alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) decreases energy intake and increases energy expenditure.
Your brain uses a specific hormonal pathway (leptin/insulin -> POMC -> MC4R) to regulate hunger and energy use. When this system works, it helps you stop eating and burn energy. Disruptions in this pathway (due to genetics or obesity) can make this harder, but the mechanism itself is a valid target for understanding appetite control.
In the melanocortin pathway, the fed state is signaled by abundance of circulating hormones such as leptin and insulin... to promote processing of POMC to the mature hormone alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH). The alpha-MSH released by POMC neurons then signals to decrease energy intake by binding to melanocortin-4 receptor (MC4R)...
Why this rating
The paper is a comprehensive review citing numerous foundational studies (knockout mice, human genetic mutations, receptor cloning) establishing this pathway.
Source
The melanocortin pathway and control of appetite-progress and therapeutic implications
Giulia Baldini et al. · Journal of Endocrinology · 2019
DOI 10.1530/joe-18-0596
More from this paper
- AgRP neurons promote feeding and inhibit energy expenditure by antagonizing MC4R, and their activity is increased during fasting/starvation.Strong
- Leptin signaling in POMC neurons is essential for energy homeostasis, and leptin deficiency causes obesity, which can be corrected by leptin administration.Strong
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This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →