Neural Control of Energy Homeostasis and Energy Homeostasis Regulation of Brain Function

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Background

Energy homeostasis can be defined as the mechanisms involved in the maintenance of a balanced state of body weight and internal parameters such as blood glucose or temperature. A balanced state is possible through complex interactions between organs and tissues with various functions related to energy intake and energy expenditures. Among the tissues involved, muscle (physical activity), adipose tissues (white or brown for fat stores or thermogenesis), the gastrointestinal tract (GIT, for nutrient absorption, and liver, pancreas, gall bladder secreting hormones involved in the digestion or nutrient utilization) are the most studied. In addition to specialized tissues, the Central Nervous System and the Peripheral Nervous System including the Enteric Nervous System, play an important role by modulating the activity of peripheral organs as well as controlling food intake.

The brain receives peripheral signals providing information on energy availability and body needs. Following the integration of these signals, the brain is then able to initiate an adaptive response regulating energy expenditure and food intake through the activation of the melanocortinergic system involving the antagonistic NPY and POMC neurons’ activity affecting both food intake and energy expenditures, or by stimulating thermogenesis via the sympathetic nervous system, for instance.

This adaptive response involves the regulation and coordination of peripheral organs’ function and direct regulation of food intake. In fact, the energy homeostasis of the body depends on brain energy supply maintenance as constant. Despite its 2% of total body weight representation, the brain consumes up to 20% of glucose. Therefore, the brain will constantly adapt energy homeostasis in regard to its own energy needs.

The energy adaptation mechanism implies that brain energetics is linked to whole energy homeostasis. It does not come as a surprise that neurological disorders associated with brain energetic defects are closely linked to metabolic disorders (for instance, glucose uptake and insulin sensitivity are altered in Alzheimer’s disease). The close interaction between metabolic disorders and brain disorders has risen more attention in recent years examining metabolic pathways’ alterations for different neurological disorders.

A better understanding of this relationship and the underlying mechanisms should benefit both metabolic disorders and neurological disorders knowledge.

This Research Topic aims to collect recent discoveries on brain control of energy homeostasis and their involvement in health and disease. We aim to receive contributions focusing specifically on the participation of different brain cell types in brain energetics, from a cellular metabolism and function, and metabolic control perspective.
Finally, the link between neurological disorders and metabolic balance will be discussed as well as the communication between the periphery and the brain.

We welcome authors to address the following, but not limited to:

• Brain nutrient sensing (fatty acids, glucose, ketone bodies…): experimental evidence from in vitro and in vivo studies on different nutrient sensing brain cells
• Hypothalamic Glucose sensing and signaling – brain energy balance control in health and disease
• Experimental evidence on the enteric nervous system’s modulatory activity and impact on brain metabolism and potential role with metabolic disorders
• Experimental evidence on the association between neurological disorders and brain energetic defects
• Food intake control and brain reward circuit
• Homeostatic processes underlying neurological disorders

Keywords: Metabolism, Bioenergetics, Obesity, Neurological disorders, Nutrition

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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