4.3 Review

Melanocortin-4 Receptors and Sympathetic Nervous System Activation in Hypertension

Journal

CURRENT HYPERTENSION REPORTS
Volume 21, Issue 6, Pages -

Publisher

SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s11906-019-0951-x

Keywords

Blood pressure; Heart rate; Appetite; Body weight; MC4R; Obesity

Funding

  1. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute [P01 HL51971]
  2. National Institute of General Medical Sciences [P20 GM104357, U54 GM115428]
  3. National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases [K99DK113280]

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Purpose of ReviewTo highlight the role of the brain melanocortin 4 receptor (MC4R) for sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activation in hypertension.Recent FindingsHypertension is the most significant risk factor for developing cardiovascular disease. Although excess weight gain is associated with at least two thirds of primary hypertension cases, the pathophysiological mechanisms involved remain the subject of intense investigation. Multiple studies demonstrate an important role for increased sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity in development and maintenance of hypertension, and that the brain MC4R modulates SNS activity to thermogenic, cardiovascular, and kidney tissues. These studies also support the concept that MC4R activation is critical for obesity-induced hypertension as well as other forms of hypertension associated with increased SNS activity.SummaryMC4R is a potential target for antiobesity therapy, although there are challenges in using MC4R agonists to induce weight loss without evoking increases in SNS activity.

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