BDNF and obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency: Thus, taken together, the studies using non-cell-specific strategies to modulate the expression or action of hypothalamic Bdnf/BDNF suggests it exerts a metabolically positive action, reducing food intake, protecting against obesity and metabolic abnormalities, and increasing energy expenditure; however, it was previously unknown if this pattern is common for all cell-types expressing BDNF.