摘要：

Obesity is a major problem in developed countries and the development of an effective treatment is an important area of research. In order to reach this goal, we must first know how metabolism and appetite are controlled, both in the periphery, as well as in the central nervous system. Due to the increased interest in this area of research, our understanding of the neuroendocrine control of food intake and energy expenditure has increased dramatically in recent years. New neuropeptides have been identified and new metabolic roles of previously known neuropeptides and neurotransmissors have been demonstrated. This chapter will briefly describe the various brain areas involved in metabolic control, concentrating on the hypothalamus and the specific nuclei of this brain area most intimately involved in the control of appetite and metabolism. Special attention will be paid to the hypothalamic neuronal populations that produce neuropeptide Y (NPY)/agouti-related protein (AgRP) and proopiomelanortin (POMC)/cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript (CART). These two neuronal populations are central to metabolic and have been the subject of much investigation.

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