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News and Views
Nature Medicine 10, 681 - 682 (2004)
doi:10.1038/nm0704-681
Cellular energy sensor balances the scales
Caroline J Small1, David Carling1 & Stephen R Bloom1
- Caroline J. Small and Stephen R. Bloom are at the Endocrine Unit, and David Carling is at the Endocrine Unit and the MRC Clinical Sciences Centre Cellular Stress Group, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, Du Cane Road, London W12 ONN, UK. e-mail: dcarling@imperial.ac.uk or e-mail: s.bloom@imperial.ac.uk
Abstract
Treatment with 
-lipoic acid, found naturally in our diets, decreases food intake in rats and keeps them slim by inhibiting AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK) in the hypothalamus. The findings reinforce the emerging status of AMPK as a cellular integrator that senses signals for food intake and whole body energy status (pages 727–733).
Those of us who must regularly delete 'spam' from their e-mail systems may be familiar with -lipoic acid. Its use as a dietary supplement is touted on the Internet as a cure for ailments ranging from cataracts to chronic fatigue syndrome and Alzheimer disease (and all for the bargain price of $29.
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