The regulation of energy metabolism by hepatic AhR

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Recent studies suggest that AhR, known as dioxin receptor, is associated with glucose and lipid metabolism. Therefore, in this study, we examined the role of AhR on energy metabolism in the liver specific knockout AhR (L-AhR KO) mice. AhR LKO mice resulted in the elevation of insulin sensitivity, leading to the decrease in the ratio of body weigh gain. The reduction of food intake in AhR LKO mice resulted from the elevated serum leptin level and the increased leptin signaling in the hypothalamus. Deficiency of leptin abolished these effects in AhR LKO mice. Therefore, these results suggest that hepatic AhR is a novel factor in the regulation of energy metabolism through the modulation of leptin level.