Photoperiodic programming of body weight through the neuroendocrine hypothalamus
in Journal of EndocrinologySearch for other papers by PJ Morgan in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by AW Ross in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by JG Mercer in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Search for other papers by P Barrett in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
The photoperiodic mammal undergoes quite remarkable changes in physiology as part of its natural adaptations to seasonal fluctuations in the environment. Changes in energy balance and body weight are among these adaptations. In some seasonal mammals, such as the Siberian hamster (Phodopus sungorus), these changes in body weight have been explored in detail, and there is evidence for tightly controlled systems of energy balance that are coordinated by photoperiod acting via the temporal pattern of melatonin secretion from the pineal gland. The pathways and systems involved appear to be quite distinct from the hypothalamic pathways identified to regulate energy balance in studies of both mice and rats thus far. Instead it appears that in the Siberian hamster a tightly regulated system under the control of photoperiod is able to reset the tone of the systems involved in energy balance regulation. Understanding how photoperiod and melatonin act within the hypothalamus to regulate energy balance offers potentially fundamental and important new insights into the control of energy balance. This review describes the current state of our knowledge.
Journal of Endocrinology is committed to supporting researchers in demonstrating the impact of their articles published in the journal.
The two types of article metrics we measure are (i) more traditional full-text views and pdf downloads, and (ii) Altmetric data, which shows the wider impact of articles in a range of non-traditional sources, such as social media.
More information is on the Reasons to publish page.
| Sept 2018 onwards | Past Year | Past 30 Days | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Full Text Views | 516 | 243 | 9 |
| PDF Downloads | 156 | 94 | 9 |
Online ISSN: 1479-6805
Print ISSN: 0022-0795
Strengthening biomedical communities
to advance science and health
CONTACT US
Bioscientifica Ltd | Starling House | 1600 Bristol Parkway North | Bristol BS34 8YU | UK
Bioscientifica Ltd | Registered in England no 3190519