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Review
. 2006 Jul 1;574(Pt 1):73-83.
doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.2006.113217. Epub 2006 May 18.

AMPK integrates nutrient and hormonal signals to regulate food intake and energy balance through effects in the hypothalamus and peripheral tissues

Bingzhong Xue  1 , Barbara B Kahn
Affiliations
Review

AMPK integrates nutrient and hormonal signals to regulate food intake and energy balance through effects in the hypothalamus and peripheral tissues

Bingzhong Xue et al. J Physiol. .

Abstract

The evolutionarily conserved serine/threonine kinase, AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), functions as a cellular fuel gauge that regulates metabolic pathways in glucose and fatty acid metabolism and protein synthesis. Recent data strongly implicate the AMPK-acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC)-malonyl CoA pathway in the hypothalamus in the regulation of food intake, body weight and hepatic glucose production. Furthermore, data indicate that AMPK is a mediator of the effects of adipocyte-derived and gut-derived hormones and peptides on fatty acid oxidation and glucose uptake in peripheral tissues. Studies are now elucidating the potential role of kinases upstream of AMPK in these metabolic effects. In addition, recently, several novel downstream effectors of AMPK have been identified. The AMPK pathway in the hypothalamus and peripheral tissues coordinately integrates inputs from multiple hormones, peptides and nutrients to maintain energy homeostasis.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Multiple hormones, peptides, nutrients and altered metabolic states regulate AMPK activity in the hypothalamus
Changes in AMPK activity may act through the acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC)–malonyl CoA–CPT1 pathway to regulate food intake and other metabolic processes. Other pathways downstream of AMPK, including possibly mTOR (Cota et al. 2006), also mediate the effects of AMPK on energy balance and glucose homeostasis. An arrow represents stimulation, whereas a crossbar means inhibition.
Figure 2
Figure 2. Hormones, nutrients and altered metabolic states regulate AMPK activity in peripheral tissues
Changes in AMPK activity act through the acetyl CoA carboxylase (ACC)–malonyl CoA–CPT1 pathway to increase fatty acid oxidation (β-oxidation) and regulate other metabolic processes in multiple tissues. Other pathways downstream of AMPK also mediate its effects on glucose, fatty acid and protein metabolism. An arrow represents stimulation, whereas a crossbar means inhibition.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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