The 15th International Symposium in obesity: G-protein-coupled receptors in energy homeostasis

Abstract

G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are markedly involved in energy homeostasis. In recent years, progress has been made in deciphering the action of some of the GPCRs that are majorly involved in energy metabolism. In that respect, the Université Laval Research Chair in Obesity held the 15th edition of the Annual International Symposium to sum up the current knowledge around the metabolic role played by the GPCRs. Ten international experts (eight speakers, two session chairs) were invited to participate in the symposium, which represents one of the main initiatives of the Université Laval Research Chair in Obesity (led by Dr Denis Richard), whose mission is to promote research and the dissemination of knowledge in regard to the etiology, consequences, treatment and prevention of obesity. Every aspect of the metabolic actions that are mediated by the GPCRs were addressed.The relentless rise in obesity over the last 30 years has brought the obesity prevalence to unprecedented levels in most countries. Global estimates by the World Health Organization indicate that the epidemic of obesity is still on the rise worldwide. In 2008, more than 1.4 billion adults were overweight, of whom 200 million men and 300 million women were obese. In addition, more than 40 million children under the age of 5 were overweight in 2010. 1 It is further estimated that 44% of the diabetes burden, 23% of the ischaemic heart disease burden and 7--41% of the burden of certain cancers are attributable to the global epidemics of overweight and obesity. 1 The situation is all the more preoccupying as the prevalence of morbid or massive obesity, known as class III or extreme obesity (body mass index 440 kg m À2 ), is rising twice as fast as the prevalence of obesity (body mass index 30 kg m À2 ; www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/obesity_adult_07_08/ obesity_adult_07_08.pdf). Massive obesity is not easily treated and often requires surgery. Obesity and the ensuing (and often occurring) fat deposition in the abdominal cavity, liver, heart, pancreas and muscle tissue (ectopic fat) leads to major metabolic impairments including type-2 diabetes, insulin resistance and dyslipidemia, and greatly increases the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory diseases. 2 The inability of current approaches to curb the obesity epidemic calls for a reappraisal of these approaches and points towards a need to find alternative means for the prevention and management of obesity and related diseases.Obesity consists in excess body fat due to an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure, which represents the two inescapable determinants of energy balance. The understanding of the complex controls exerted on these determinants is essential to decipher the causes of excess fat deposition and to envision effective strategies to prevent or reverse obesity. The controls of food intake and energy expenditure are assured by interconnected neurons of various brain regions, which include the hypothalamus. These neurons express various receptor types and produce different...

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