CNS Regulation of Glucose Homeostasis

Carol K. L. Lam 1 ,2 ,* , Madhu Chari 1 ,2 ,* and Tony K. T. Lam 1 ,2 ,3 1 Toronto General Research Institute, University Health Network, Toronto; and 2 Departments of Physiology and 3 Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada tony.lam{at}uhnres.utoronto.ca The past decade has hosted a remarkable surge in research dedicated to the central control of homeostatic mechanisms. Evidence indicates that the brain, in particular the hypothalamus, directly senses hormones and nutrients to initiate behavioral and metabolic responses to control energy and nutrient homeostasis. Diabetes is chiefly characterized by hyperglycemia due to impaired glucose homeostatic regulation, and a primary therapeutic goal is to lower plasma glucose levels. As such, in this review, we highlight the role of the hypothalamus in the regulation of glucose homeostasis in particular and discuss the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which this neural pathway is orchestrated. * C. K. L. Lam and M. Chari contributed equally to this review.