The role of melanocortin signalling in the control of body wieght: evidence from human and murine genetic models

摘要

The peptide products of the pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) gene have established roles in the control of physiological processes as diverse as adrenal ster- oidogenesis, skin pigmentation, analgesia and inflammation. In the last 5 years, evidence accumu- lated from murine and human genetic models of disrupted melanocortin signalling has firmly estab- lished a central role for a population of hypothal- amic neurons expressing POMC in the control of appetite and body weight.