POMC and obesity disorder: The POMC neurons, receiving nutrient or hormonal signals, release α-MSH, a product of POMC cleavage that activates melanocortin 3 and 4 receptors (MC3/4R), which are expressed throughout the brain, but mostly in the PVN[16], and the activation of the neurons results in the inhibition of food intake and increased energy expenditure (similarly to VMN, destruction of PVN leads to obesity).