Open AccessInsulin Resistance in the Brain: Evidence Supporting a Role for Inflammation, Reactive Microglia, and the Impact of Biological Sex
Author(s) -
Yasmine V. Doust,
Nicole Sumargo,
Jenna M. Ziebell,
Dino Premilovac
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
neuroendocrinology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.493
H-Index - 101
eISSN - 1423-0194
pISSN - 0028-3835
DOI - 10.1159/000524059
Subject(s) - insulin resistance , microglia , endocrinology , obesity , context (archaeology) , medicine , inflammation , adipose tissue , overweight , insulin , central nervous system , energy homeostasis , immune system , biology , immunology , paleontology
Increased intake of highly processed, energy-dense foods combined with a sedentary lifestyle are helping fuel the current overweight and obesity crisis, which is more prevalent in women than in men. Although peripheral organs such as adipose tissue contribute to the physiological development of obesity, emerging work aims to understand the role of the central nervous system to whole body energy homeostasis and development of weight gain and obesity. The present review discusses the impact of insulin, insulin resistance, free fatty acids, and inflammation on brain function and how these differ between the males and females in the context of obesity. We highlight the potential of microglia, the resident immune cells in the brain, as mediators of neuronal insulin resistance that drive reduced satiety, increased food intake and thus, obesity.