Advance in the regulation of energy metabolism by peripheral serotonin / 药学学报

ABSTRACT

Serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine, 5-HT) is an endogenous molecule playing key roles in life activity. In the treatment of metabolic diseases such as obesity, the traditional paradigm of appetite suppression by serotonin in the central nervous system has some limitations. In recent years, great progress has been made in the study of the regulation of energy metabolism by peripheral serotonin system. Recent studies revealed that peripheral serotonin plays an important role in regulation of adipogenesis and energy expenditure in adipose tissues, insulin secretion in pancreatic β-cell and glycogen synthesis in liver, etc. This review summarizes the recent advances in the function of serotonin in the peripheral organs of energy metabolism. We propose that peripheral serotonin system may serve as an attractive new therapeutic target for the treatment of metabolic diseases in the near future.