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. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2016 Feb 25.
Published in final edited form as: Annu Rev Physiol. 2014 Oct 20;77:161–178. doi: 10.1146/annurev-physiol-021014-071704

Figure 4. Schematic depiction of the serotonergic neuroendocrine pathway that controls body fat.

Figure 4

The described neural circuit for fat loss functions as a positive regulatory loop in which octopamine/adrenaline-like signaling acts as a permissive cue to maintain serotonin production and function. Serotonin production in the ADF chemosensory neurons activates the serotonergic chloride channel MOD-1 in the URX body cavity neurons to elicit fat loss. Serotonin signaling relays a neuroendocrine instructive signal from the nervous system to the distal intestine via unknown neuroendocrine effectors.