The gut as a second brain.

Abstract

This chapter reviews the participation of gastrointestinal hormones in the control of appetite and body weight and, at the same time, considers the therapeutic potential of some promising gut hormones and how they alter the central nervous system to control appetite. These include cholecystokinin, peptide YY, pancreatic polypeptide, glucagon-like peptide-1 and oxyntomodulin, ghrelin and leptin.