The expression of IL-6 was unaltered in three studies related to (a) aging as a physiological condition, which leads to an increase in IL-6 levels in other brain areas, but no significant increase was observed in the hypothalamus [39]; (b) a model of inescapable stress, in which microglial activation was not related to increased hypothalamic IL-6 levels [40]; and (c) nicotine exposure during lactation, which promotes paraventricular hypothalamic microglial activation related to obesity in adulthood, but with no alteration in hypothalamic IL-6 expression [41]. The gene discussed is IL6; the disease is obesity disorder.