Running on Empty: Leptin Signaling in VTA Regulates Reward from Physical Activity

Zuxin Chen; Paul J Kenny

doi:10.1016/j.cmet.2015.09.021

Running on Empty: Leptin Signaling in VTA Regulates Reward from Physical Activity

Cell Metab. 2015 Oct 6;22(4):540-1. doi: 10.1016/j.cmet.2015.09.021.

Authors

Zuxin Chen¹, Paul J Kenny²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Pharmacology & Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA.
² Department of Pharmacology & Systems Therapeutics, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, One Gustave L. Levy Place, New York, NY 10029-6574, USA. Electronic address: paul.kenny@mssm.edu.

PMID: 26445509
DOI: 10.1016/j.cmet.2015.09.021

Abstract

Hunger increases physical activity and stamina to support food-directed foraging behaviors, but underlying mechanisms are unclear. In this issue, Fernandes et al. (2015) show that disruption of leptin-regulated STAT3 signaling in midbrain dopamine neurons increases the rewarding effects of running in mice, which could explain the "high" experienced by endurance runners.

Publication types

Comment

MeSH terms

Animals
Dopaminergic Neurons / metabolism*
Leptin / pharmacology*
STAT3 Transcription Factor / metabolism*
Signal Transduction / drug effects*

Substances

Leptin
STAT3 Transcription Factor