Gastric mammalian target of rapamycin signaling, hormone production and energy metabolism.

The obesity epidemic imposes a significant health burden on human beings. Current understanding of the mechanisms underlying the development of obesity is incomplete and contemporary treatment is often ineffective. Gastrointestinal hormones are important regulators of food intake and energy metabolism. Previous studies indicate that the mammalian target of rapamycin signaling pathway in the gastric mucosa is crucially involved in fuel sensing in the gastrointestinal tract and plays a critical role in the coordination of nutrient availability and ingestive behavior via the production of gastric hormones. As an important component of the brain-gut axis regulating food intake and energy homeostasis, energy sensing in the gastrointestinal tract may provide a novel insight into our understanding of the precise coordination between the organism and cellular energy state.