Central nervous system regulation of food intake and energy expenditure: role of galanin-mediated feeding behavior
1 Department of Physiology, 2 Laboratory of Physiology, 3 Laboratory of Pharmacy, School of Medicine, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225001, China
Abstract
Galanin is a neuropeptide widely expressed in the brain. It is implicated in energy expenditure, feeding, and the regulation of body weight. Numerous studies have revealed that galanin regulates food intake via galanin receptors, 5-HT1A receptor and adrenergic α-2 receptor. In this review, we summarize recent findings that reveal the essential role of galanin in increasing food intake as well as body weight and that identify the individual galanin receptor subtypes involved in the brain's modulation of food intake and energy expenditure, to provide a theoretical basis for further studies of different aspects of galanin action.
Keywords
galanin; receptor; feeding behavior; central nervous system
