Neural Regeneration Research ›› 2024, Vol. 19 ›› Issue (6): 1177-1178.doi: 10.4103/1673-5374.385867

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Anoctamin 4 defines glucose-inhibited neurons in the ventromedial hypothalamus

Longlong Tu, Yanlin He, Yong Xu*   

  1. Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, One Baylor Plaza, Houston, TX, USA (Tu L, Xu Y)
    Brain Glycemic and Metabolism Control Department, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA, USA (He Y)
    Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology; Section of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism, Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, USA (Xu Y) 
  • Online:2024-06-15 Published:2023-11-17
  • Contact: Yong Xu, PhD, MD, yongx@bcm.edu.
  • Supported by:
    This work was supported by grants from the NIH (P01DK113954, R01DK115761, R01DK117281, R01DK125480 and R01DK120858 to YX; R01DK129548 to YH), USDA/CRIS (51000-064-01S to YX), Postdoctoral Fellowship (2020AHA000POST000204188) to LT.

Abstract: Glucose is the primary fuel source of the brain, and therefore glucose levels need to be tightly regulated and maintained within a small physiological range. Certainly, the body necessitates a stable supply of energy mainly provided by glucose for various bodily functions. High or low blood glucose levels would impair the physiological functions of various organs of the body. Prolonged high blood glucose (i.e., hyperglycemia) would cause damage to the blood vessels, nerves, and other organs (e.g., heart, kidneys, and eyes). Low blood glucose (i.e., hypoglycemia) would undermine brain functions and lead to seizures, loss of consciousness, and other serious complications including death.