AUTHOR=Spreckley Eleanor , Murphy Kevin Graeme 

TITLE=The L-Cell in Nutritional Sensing and the Regulation of Appetite

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=Volume 2 - 2015

YEAR=2015

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2015.00023

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2015.00023

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=The gastrointestinal tract senses the ingestion of food and responds by signalling to the brain to promote satiation and satiety. Representing an important part of the gut-brain axis, enteroendocrine Lcells secrete the anorectic peptide hormones glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and peptide YY (PYY) in response to the ingestion of food. The release of GLP-1 has multiple effects, including the secretion of insulin from pancreatic β-cells, decreased gastric emptying and increased satiation. PYY also slows gastrointestinal motility and reduces food intake. At least part of the gut-brain response seems to be due to direct sensing of macronutrients by L-cells, by mechanisms including specific nutrient-sensing receptors. Such receptors may represent possible pathways to target to decrease appetite and increase energy expenditure. Designing drugs or functional foods to exploit the machinery of these nutrient-sensing mechanisms may offer a potential approach for agents to treat obesity and metabolic disease.