Recent research discovered production of new neurons (neurogenesis) in the median eminence (MEm), a distinct brain region of the hypothalamus, and that neurogenesis of the MEm plays a functional role in weight regulation. This research was reported in the scientific journal of Nature Neuroscience.

In this research, MEm neurogenesis in mice is significantly enhanced by a high fat diet. Researchers at the US Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine also found that by blocking the production of MEm newborn neurons, the mice gained substantially less weight and exhibited more energy use even when fed the same high fat diet.

If a similar mechanism is found in humans, these findings may present a new target for potential therapeutic intervention to combat diet-induced weight gain and obesity.

The hypothalamus is the brain region involved in the regulation of many metabolic processes including control of food intake, hormone secretion, and energy use.

The researchers suggest that some effects of its regulation may be mediated by the MEm neurogenesis, and MEm neurogenesis induced by over-feeding, in turn, reduces energy use and promotes fat storage.

Other findings of this research include:

• Levels of neurogenesis in the median eminence is 5 times higher than other regions of the hypothalamus.
• High fat diet may increase MEm neurogenesis significantly, leading to long term changes in feeding habits and metabolism.
• High fat diet activation of MEm neurogenesis continues from postnatal to adulthood, and this process may modulate hypothalamuic circuitry and functions later in life.
• These newborn MEm neurons are derived from β2-tanycytes.
• Changes and connectivity of these MEm neurons may have greater physiological impact disproportional to their numbers, because this tanycyte progenitor cell pool is positioned outside of the blood-brain barrier and innervated by neurosecretory cells.