From Gut to Brain: a pas de deux between oleoylethanolamide and neuronal histamine

Brain responses to feeding start before consumption, since seeing, smelling or just think about food may elicit exocrine and endocrine secretions in the gut and stimulate appetite. On the other hand, food intake initiates a cascade of hormonal responses by the gastrointestinal system that are integrated in the central nervous system inducing satiety. This complex communication between the periphery and the CNS is called gut/brain axis. Many gut- and adipose tissue-derived peptides and neurotransmitters are recruited to orchestrate feeding behavior, including the lipid-derived satiety factor oleoylethanolamide and the neuronal histamine. In this review the main findings regarding the role of these two systems in the control of food consumption are presented. The evidence of their interaction along with the putative underlying mechanisms as well we the impact on food intake, memory and mood are reviewed.