Fundamental mechanisms of energy balance: Lipid transport

许多年前，一些小鼠被基因改造为缺少一种血脂受体。对于缺乏这种脂肪受体是否会使老鼠在高脂肪饮食中增加或减少体重，科学家们意见不一。我们的数据表明，当这些小鼠吃高脂肪食物时，它们受到保护，不会变胖，我们认为它们对一种名为瘦素的脂肪衍生激素不那么敏感。我们计划找出这种脂肪受体如何改变大脑思考脂肪组织发送给它的激素的能力。我们的研究将帮助我们了解野生动物和农场动物在决定何时进食、吃什么和吃多少时如何理解它们身体的信号。

Many years ago some mice were genetically-engineered to be missing a receptor for blood fat. Scientists disagree on whether the lack of this fat receptor makes the mice gain more or less weight on a high-fat diet. Our data suggest that these mice are protected from getting fat when they eat a high fat diet, and we think that they are less sensitive to a fat-derived hormone called leptin. We plan to find out how this fat receptor might change the ability of the brain to think about hormones sent to it by fat tissue. Our research will help us understand how wild animals and farm animals understand their body's signals in deciding when to eat, what to eat and how much to eat.