Satiety pathways

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]) pathways play an important role in postprandial satiety. Treatments that increase intrasynaptic serotonin or directly activate serotonin receptors tend to reduce food consumption, whereas interventions that dampen serotonergic neurotransmission or block receptor activation reportedly increase food consumption and promote weight gain (Blundell, 1984 Teibowitz, 1986). Moreover, CNS serotonin pathways have been implicated in the modulation of mood, impulse regulation and be-... 

The contribution of serotonin to specific human behaviors remains uncertain. Serotonin has been postulated to contribute to temperament or personalty traits such as harm avoidance (Cloninger, 1987) or behavioral inhibition (Soubrie, 1986), or to categorical dimensions such as OCD (Barr et ah, 1992), anxiety and fear (Charney et ah, 1990), or depression (Grahame-Smith, 1992), as well as to satiety for food consumption. It is possible that separate components of serotonin neuronal systems (i.e., different pathways or receptors) are coded for such specific behaviors. However, that may not be consistent with the neurophysiology of serotonin neuronal function. 

The lipid messenger OEA links dietary fat intake to satiety. CellMetab. 8, 281-288. Simon, G. M., and Cravatt, B. F. (2006). Endocannabinoid biosynthesis proceeding through glycer-ophospho-jV-acyl ethanolamine and a role for alpha /beta-hydrolase 4 in this pathway. J. Biol. 

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