CCMN Lecture Series: Professor Christophe Magnan, Université Paris Cité

Abstract: Daily circulating variations in lipids including fatty acids and triglycerides are detected by specialized neurons located in the hypothalamus and beyond. This brain fatty acids sensing plays a part in the nervous control of energy balance (such as food intake, insulin secretion and action). A dysfunction in this sensing can contribute to the establishment of metabolic deregulations and subsequently to the onset of obesity or type 2 diabetes. The deleterious effect of fatty acids may be linked to their nature (saturated, polyunsaturated) and to local ceramides production.