Early Life Stress, Brain Development, and Obesity Risk: Is Oxytocin the Missing Link?

ABSTRACT: Obesity disease results from a dysfunctional modulation of the energy balance whose master regulator is the central nervous system. The neural circuitries involved in such function complete their maturation during early postnatal periods, when the brain is highly plastic and profoundly influenced by the environment. This phenomenon is considered as an evolutionary strategy, whereby metabolic functions are adjusted to environmental cues, such as food availability and maternal care. In this timeframe, adverse stimuli may program the body metabolism to maximize energy storage abilities to cope with hostile conditions. Consistently, the prevalence of obesity is higher among individuals who experienced early life stress (ELS). Oxytocin, a hypothalamic neurohormone, regulates the energy balance

SUBMITTER: Colleluori G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8870435 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature