Obesity and neuroinflammation

Abstract

Obesity is the core and baseline component of metabolic syndrome and is a major risk factor for many diseases like Type II diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, stroke and neurodegenerative diseases. Sedentary lifestyle, unhealthy eating habits and genetic predisposition are responsible for the increasing prevalence of obesity worldwide. Chronic overnutrition causes low-grade inflammation in several peripheral tissues as well as central nervous system, particularly hypothalamus. Activation of various proinflammatory pathways such as IKKb/NF-jB, JNK and PKR are thought to be the major players in the induction of systemic and central inflammation. Further, neuroinflammation causes intracellular disturbances and exacerbates various stresses such as oxidative stress, ER stress and autophagic defects leading to impaired neurohormonal signalling as well as autonomic regulation of nutrient metabolism and energy balance. As obesity poses major health threat, effective therapies to minimize obesity-related comorbidities are surely needed. By targeting the inflammatory component, the progression of obesity can be slowed down. In vivo studies from our lab suggest that Withania somnifera helps to reduce hypothalamic inflammation triggered by high-fat-diet-induced obesity. Various lifestyle interventions along with herbal supplementation may effectively help to prevent obesity and its associated pathologies.