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Regulation of Liver Glucose Metabolism by the Metabolic Sensing of Leucine in the Hypothalamus

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Branched Chain Amino Acids in Clinical Nutrition

Part of the book series: Nutrition and Health ((NH))

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Abstract

Amino acids exert powerful effects on insulin action and glucose metabolism through direct (substrate-like) as well indirect (hormonally mediated) mechanisms. The majority of these actions are mediated by tissues such as the skeletal muscle and the liver. In this chapter we discuss evidence indicating that leucine improves insulin action and liver glucose metabolism through a metabolic sensing network in the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH). Leucine is metabolized in the MBH to generate a neurogenic signal that is relayed to the liver via the vagus nerve to modulate the partition of glucose fluxes resulting in an overall decrease of glucose output. We further postulate that the faltering of this central sensing mechanism leads to hyperglycemia suggesting that hypothalamic leucine sensing is required to maintain euglycemia. Failure of this sensing mechanism could be a contributing factor to the development of diabetes.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and Diabetes Research Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Yeshiva University, Jack and Pearl Resnick Campus, Belfer 1300 Morris Park Ave, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA

    Roger Gutiérrez-Juárez M.D., Ph.D.

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  1. Roger Gutiérrez-Juárez M.D., Ph.D.
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Correspondence to Roger Gutiérrez-Juárez M.D., Ph.D. .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Intensive Care, Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals, Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust, London, United Kingdom

    Rajkumar Rajendram

  2. Diabetes and Nutritional Sciences, Kings College London, London, United Kingdom

    Victor R. Preedy

  3. Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Westminster, London, United Kingdom

    Vinood B. Patel

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Gutiérrez-Juárez, R. (2015). Regulation of Liver Glucose Metabolism by the Metabolic Sensing of Leucine in the Hypothalamus. In: Rajendram, R., Preedy, V., Patel, V. (eds) Branched Chain Amino Acids in Clinical Nutrition. Nutrition and Health. Humana Press, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1923-9_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4939-1923-9_7

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  • Publisher Name: Humana Press, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4939-1922-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4939-1923-9

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