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Neuroscience

Astrocytic GABA in LHA is an obesity ‘thermostat’

Nature Metabolism volume 5, pages 1454–1455 (2023)Cite this article

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Sa et al. identified a distinct neuronal subpopulation that controls brown adipose tissue thermogenesis. In mice fed a high-fat diet, hypothalamic GABRA5 neurons are deactivated by GABA released by surrounding astrocytes and inhibition of GABA synthesis ameliorates diet-induced obesity.

In mammals, the hypothalamus acts as the body’s ‘thermostat’ for temperature and weight regulation. Within the hypothalamus, the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA) stands out for its distinct role in controlling hunger1,2,3. Additionally, specific neuronal populations in the LHA that innervate brown adipose tissue are known to influence thermogenic activity and energy balance4,5. Despite extensive research aimed at unravelling these complex thermoregulatory circuits, a previously unnoticed neuronal population within the LHA has now come to the forefront.

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Fig. 1: Effect of hypothalamic GABRA5 neurons on body-weight regulation through astrocytes.

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Acknowledgements

We thank C. Holleman (Helmholtz Munich; Germany) for her comments. The research of the authors is supported by funding from the European Research Council (ERC) (C.G.-C.: STG grant AstroNeuroCrosstalk no. 757393), the German Research Foundation (DFG) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy within the framework of the Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (EXC 2145 SyNergy – ID 390857198), and Helmholtz Association - Initiative and Networking Fund. I.G.-G. is supported by a Ramón y Cajal Award (RYC2021-031225-I) from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación of Spain. The funders had no role in decision to publish or prepare this work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physiology, CiMUS, University of Santiago de Compostela–Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria, Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Ismael González-García

  2. CIBER Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN), Santiago de Compostela, Spain

    Ismael González-García

  3. Institute for Diabetes and Obesity, Helmholtz Diabetes Center, Helmholtz Munich & German Center for Diabetes Research (DZD), Neuherberg, Germany

    Cristina García-Cáceres

  4. Medizinische Klinik und Poliklinik IV, Klinikum der Universität, Ludwig Maximilians Universität München, Munich, Germany

    Cristina García-Cáceres

Authors
  1. Ismael González-García
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  2. Cristina García-Cáceres
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to Ismael González-García or Cristina García-Cáceres.

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González-García, I., García-Cáceres, C. Astrocytic GABA in LHA is an obesity ‘thermostat’. Nat Metab 5, 1454–1455 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-023-00849-0

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s42255-023-00849-0

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